Little Moments

I don't remember what was going on here, but they both seem pretty content!

4/17/2011

One afternoon, I was thinking Ked was sleeping longer than usual. Then I heard some thumping sounds. This is what I found.

Impressive as his tower of food was, I'm really looking forward to having a kitchen where I can keep all the food and to Ked having his own room that is not also a storage room.

5/23/2011; 21 months

A typical breakfast stunt.

Ked loves to find new friends (dogs and cats) in the windows of the apartments around us. Every once in a great while, he'll even find another kid!

Lips

Ked has this thing he does with his lips that has always cracked us up (as well as our pediatrician). He did it when he was a lot younger and has recently started doing it again a little. I've still never been able to get a good picture of it, but this is almost it.

Riding Toys

I think it's time to get this kid another riding toy. He will try to ride anything, including toy vehicles much smaller than these.

4/15/2011

Kentucky Visit

Our six hour drive to visit Brandi was kind of a practice run for when Summer and I would drive all the kids to the DC airport to fly to California in May. This moment was bliss. All 5 kids asleep. It didn't last long.

It was great for us three sisters to get to hang out with all our kids. I loved seeing how Ked had matured enough to really enjoy playing with his cousins. Dane, Paige, and Ked had a great time jumping off the couch together and onto my bedding or sliding down on the sleeping pad.

3/24/2011

Family

4/10/2011

Sam getting ready to catch some sharp-looking kid falling from the sky.

It was great having Oma and Opa for a few days as they were driving through.

Personal Air Conditioner

And we wonder why the electric bill is so high.

It has been nice that Ked can get his milk cup out of the fridge himself, and that he can bring the gallon of milk to me or Sam for a refill and put it back. But sometimes this new trick of his is a battle. . .

4/1/2011; Ked, 19 months

The Royal Wedding

Back in April, Kristel and Stephen were married in the Salt Lake Temple on the same day as the "Royal Wedding." (I didn't know anything about it, until the happy couple was interviewed by a TV crew as soon as they walked out of the temple.)

So glad I got to be there for their sealing! A great couple! I also enjoyed getting to visit with my old roommate Kristen (on the left) and many other old friends and roommates.

Nap Time

Just because he was resisting and delaying nap time each day, it didn't mean he didn't need it!

I felt pretty bad when a woman in the grocery store pointed out to me how tired Ked was. I was busy comparing prices until I saw his heavy eyelids, rubbing eyes, and finally the head go down. I found a bib for some padding and he slept while I quickly finished. Ked is not usually the type that will sleep anywhere other than his bed (or occasionally in his car seat).

Ked has been resisting his naps (crying and climbing out of his crib and destroying anything he could find in his room when I'd try--a major battle for hours some days) ever since I took the pacifier away. (This also made bedtime much more difficult, but he would at least eventually sleep.) After a week or two I gave in and handed him back the pacifier. Bliss. I love that thing. Except when he wants to keep it while he's awake. That's a whole other battle (especially when I'm trying to get him to eat), but one I'll gladly take over the alternative for the time being. . . It's been so nice having him sleep again!

Washington D.C. Temple Visitor's Center

We had a great visit to the temple during Sam's spring break. Someday we hope to live much closer to a temple. (Right now it takes about 4 1/2+ hours to get there.) It was so good to feel nearer to my Heavenly Father, to feel the warmth and peace and clarity of mind, and to be reminded of the great blessings we receive as we live faithfully. Sam and I went in separately so we could take turns watching Ked. Ked enjoyed the visitor's center a lot. I enjoyed watching him enjoy it. (I won't mention how much he exhausted me since he never wanted to sit still!)

Ked 18 months

Fort Fun

Ked loves when his dad makes him a fort. Ked has taken on the responsibility of pulling the cushions off the couch and putting them on the floor--apparently the fort is not complete without them.

This was when we made the fort as part of our Monday night Family Home Evening. It's been fun as Ked has been getting older to cater more to him in our activities. We try to play with him anyway, but it's nice to have one night when he's guaranteed a lot of attention from both of us together. He loves it! Now if we can just get him to sit still during his 30 second scriptural lesson. . . Actually, he does a pretty good job with that too. He likes to point at things in the pictures.

Feb. 28, 2011

I Shall Be Whole

Rinita, la Bonita. That's what I called Rina when we were neighbors and then roommates; a great friend of mine (and of many). I was pretty excited to open the Ensign and see this painting with her as the model. (The author, Al Young, is the father of Elspeth Young, also an amazing painter and person and another friend who was in our ward in Provo.)

Rina taught me much about having faith in our Savior, and also about charity, compassion, service, perseverance, and striving to do what is right. So it is appropriate that in this painting, she represents this woman from the Bible.

"And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

"For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

"But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour."

(Matthew 9: 20-22)

Surprise Greetings

After just a few minutes in the bathroom, this is what I found when I came out. Except when I first came out, his diaper was in his hands. I'm not sure how I feel about this new independent stage. . . especially the part where he can undress himself.

Yesterday I left Ked in his room during nap time, even after I heard him getting out of his pack-n-play. I was listening and knew he was getting into things, but didn't realize the extent. Lesson learned. (His diaper bag had snacks and a roll of toilet paper--to be used as tissue--in it.)

Ked 18 months

Our Little Dish Washer

Ked LOVES dish washing time. Hopefully he still feels that way when he's a little older and it's his job. . .

Ked is very insistent on being involved once he hears the dishes clanking and the water running, and will do anything to get to the water (as you can see here). It's gotten to the point that Sam won't do dishes until after Ked is in bed, keeping things much easier and drier.

On the rare occasions I do the dishes, Ked and I have a deal. I wash; he rinses.

Ked 17 months

Babies in the Oven

As Sam and I knelt down to say our morning prayer together one morning in the living room, Ked quickly seized the opportunity to get into the kitchen, open the oven door, climb up on it, and play with the racks and the stove above. (Thankfully he can't turn it on.) As you can imagine, this made a fair amount of racket. As Sam was praying, he asked for a blessing on "the baby in the oven." I thought it was a little odd he used this phrase in a prayer, but then when I heard Ked clanking away in the oven, I couldn't help but release a muffled laugh, and (being a Z) I couldn't stop the whole way through the prayer. On hearing me start to laugh, Sam realized why I was laughing and added, "bless both babies in the oven." Well, it wasn't the most reverent prayer, but we were sincere!

I was pleasantly surprised with an ultrasound at my first appointment, and I was amazed at how fully formed and squirmy and kickin' and punchin' our little sprite was! Pretty amazing, and while I've already been really excited, seeing such a confirmation made me ecstatic! We are due in August.

Oh, what do you do in the winter time...?

Do you turn your table upside down like this. . .

after finding your kid multiple times like this?

(Ked, Jan. 2011; 16 1/2 months)

Christmas, etc.

Ked was ecstatic to be greeted by a new dog when we arrived at Sam's parents for Christmas. (One of Ked's first "words" was "Issadog!") Ked and the dog both loved each other and drove each other crazy.

Ked has enjoyed this homemade Christmas present. . . but it wasn't quite as cool as his cousin's new bike.

Ked also liked his harmonica, but he wanted me to blow it.

Ked and Sam outside the Nauvoo temple, waiting for the bride and groom. It was cold! One of these days I'll get some pictures up of the happy couple--Shannon and Kyle. We were so happy to be there with them.

Shoveling Snow

What do you do with a boy with bounteous energy?

You put him to work!

Christmas Eve Day, at Sam's parents'. Ked loved the snow shovel.

Nativity Temptation

Figuring out where to put my Nativities this year was tricky--they had to be out of Ked's reach. Of course, he still found ways to get to them. . . He especially loved the nesting dolls a friend gave me and the little sheep of the porcelain set that my youngest sister made me.

I love how he is cradling the baby Jesus here.

I eventually moved most of the Nativities to a shelf in the bookcase. But then Ked figured out that he could climb onto his toy box to reach it. So I took the lid off of his toy box. . . and he put it back on. So I hid the lid, and finally, all was safe.

Studious

I love viewing Ked in his quiet moments. Except this one made me nervous. . .

(Ked 12/15/2010; 15 1/2 months)

He does like to look through books on the couch (usually upside down, as both of these pictures show).

(Ked 1/13/2011; 16 1/2 months)

Keeping Mom Busy

(Ked) One day I figured out how to move the chairs all around the house and get into anything I couldn't normally reach--top drawers, shelves, the sink, the stove--and I could get onto the kitchen table even when Mom and Dad remembered to push their chairs in.

(Ked, 12/1/2011; 15 months)

It was great until Mom hid all the chairs in the back room (and subsequently got holes in the knees of her jeans from kneeling down at the kitchen table all the time).

Then I figured out I could still use my push car to get a few places. That worked until Dad added child-proof latches to the upper drawers too.

(Ked 12/5/ 2010; 15 months)

Then I figured out I could open the oven door, climb on top of it, and play both in the oven and on the stove! Mom does NOT like this, but so far she hasn't been able to figure out a way to keep me out of it, except to guard it very carefully when anything is hot. She's glad I can't reach to turn anything on.

(Ked 12/8/ 2010; 15 months)

Mom turns the desk chair on it's side so I don't get into everything on the top of the desk, and so I can't hit the button on the computer that makes it crash every time. (She doesn't even know what button I push, but I hit it all the time!) I don't get upset when she turns the chair over (like I do when she takes the other chairs away), because at least it gives me my own personal jungle gym.

(Ked 12/5/ 2010; 15 months)

Ked's Flip

Ked got himself into his pack-n-play twice this morning (with the aid of a chair and with the purpose of retrieving his pacifier). I didn't see him either time (though I did hear a thud the first time), and I decided to see if he'd do it again with me watching (and recording).

If I'd known how he was going to do it, I don't think I would have encouraged it. This is definitely not what I was expecting! (I guess it is the same thing he does on the couch all the time, but the couch is a lot more padded!) Notice how he glances at the pacifier, gives a little excited laugh, preps and bends his knees, then just goes for it!

Ked 16 months