Playing in the sun

These days we spray on the sunscreen and head out to the backyard for hours. We have a new sandbox and a kiddie pool. What could be better?

Here's some video from my cell phone of the boys splashing around. Things to note: Max knew I was recording so he's being a ham, Benny is following Max's lead until he gets cold and comes to me for comfort, and you can spot baby toys on the ground at my feet. Andrew was playing on a blanket by me in the shade.

Have I mentioned Benny loves sports?

I had to copy this picture of 3 generations of Richards boys from my sister-in-law Suzanne's blog from the Utah Jazz NBA draft party last week at Energy Solutions Arena.

JB took Benny for some special one-on-one time, and just look how happy my little boy is. His Papa on one side, his daddy on the other, a big bucket of popcorn in his hands, and basketball players on the big screen.

This boy ALWAYS has a number shirt on -- a jersey if possible. He also loves sports shorts. At night, he sneaks into our storage bins of boys clothing in the closet, and rummages around for more number shirts or soccer shorts. I caught him trying on some that were way too small, and way too big. He has hidden a stash of such clothing at the foot of his bed under his covers, and pokes his head under the blanket to check on them every once in a while. I think it's his happy place.

He's ok to wear his Sunday clothes, or another outfit say to a party (he was invited to his first birthday party on Saturday -- he soooo excited after watching Max go to parties for the past year, and he looked so cute with his combed hair and polo shirt). But as soon as he gets home, he pulls out his sports clothes and asks for help to put them on.

Here he has laid out his outfit at night on the kitchen floor, complete with his football helmet from the thrift store:


It kills me!

My third baby

Andrew loves me.

I mean he's really attached.

If I'm around, he only has eyes for me. And he would prefer it if I would hold him all the time. I've already blogged about how he likes to sleep by me.

He also loves the baby carrier a lot more than my 2 other babies did. That way he's close to me. It could also be because I have a different carrier now and I use it all the time because I love it. I bought a used Bjorn, and it is amazing.

He's probably getting too chubby for my back ("You think?! says my chiropracter) but I have even started putting him in it in order to get work done around the house.

I sometimes just use my toes to pick things up while I'm holding him, too. Then I remember when I was younger and my siblings and I used to change the channel and volume with our toes, and I hear my dad's voice in my head, "Knock that off, you foot monkey!"

My second baby

My cute, funny, precocious, energetic, still-napping, sports-obsessed, 3 1/2 year old Benny has now been a middle child for 6 months. He's not sure how much he likes it. I tell him, he's like peanut butter. It totally makes the sandwich!


Here's a picture of Benji-boy as a baby. Look at those cheeks! I LOVE that I have chubby babies.

My first baby!

I have been cleaning out my email inbox at work -- it keeps telling me it's full. Rude.

Anyway, I found some emails from the summer and fall of 2007, before I started this blog, that include pictures of my sweet Max, when he was 2 years old and an only child.








It kills me! That face. Those dimpled fingers. That shocking blonde hair. Now he's a tall, skinny, almost-6-year-old:

What a dad

Everybody tells me that My Three Sons look exactly like their dad. I couldn't be happier! Happy Father's Day to a cute, handsome and fun daddy.

Don't move! He's asleep....

(Wook at da wittle chub.)

JB and I have a problem with sleep. You see, Andrew likes our bed. A lot.

I think it's for a few reasons.

1)I work early early in the mornings, so I go to bed by 9 PM. 8:30 if possible. It's just easier to bring him in bed with me to nurse while I sleep.

2) He really likes to nurse. Look at that chubbiness! He also doesn't like the bottle so much. Oh he'll take one -- he doesn't like to feel hungry, but he'd rather wait until I'm home (I'm freezing so much milk that I'm pumping everyday).

3) He was really sick a few weeks ago, so we had him in with us a lot. And my family was in town for my sister's wedding and we needed his bedroom.

All of the above means he is now just used to sleeping in our bed. Seriously though, what's not to love? Mom is right there, dad is right there.... But this means JB and I stay frozen in one spot all night, with one eye half-open to peek at him and make sure he's ok. If we are not too sleepy, then we slip him back into his crib across the hall, only to bring him back in a few hours when he wakes up again.

I know we ought to let him cry it out.

Buuut,

I can't lie, I'm a bit of a softie.

Summer starts

School is now out for the summer. My firstborn is now done with kindergarten! Sob.

On one of the last days, they had a water day.



Benny went to play with the kindergarteners as well. If you've seen Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, remember the part when Flint Lockwood has his first snowball fight and pelts everyone while yelling, "Snowball!"? That was Ben with the water balloons.

The kids with summer birthdays were also recognized in front of the class. I know he's been watching his classmates go up to pick a pencil and be sung to all year, but I was still surprised by this level of excitement when it was his turn!

His shirt was still off from water day. He also struck a pose, not for the camera, but for his classmates.

What a character.

Big mistake. Big.

These cute pictures were taken outside in our front yard.

See that baseball? In just a few moments it will be.....

Through our big front kitchen window.


What's that? You want your allowance? Hahahahahahaha.

Bouncy, bouncy

We pulled out the Johnny Jump Up for Andrew to try. I just love his surprised look in the pictures like, "Wait, what?? What is going on?"



Max and Benny were estatic. "Look baby, you can bounce! C'mon baby, let's bounce. Bouncy, bouncy!" One of my hands is steading the baby during these pictures so they wouldn't send him sending into the hallway like that high-flying ride at Lagoon.

He tried it without his older brothers' help, and got twisted around.

He didn't last long in there before he got sad. He prefers me to hold him all the time anyway. And I oblige. That way I can kiss those chubby cheeks whenever I want.

I love technology

JB and I caught up with the rest of yous guys this week. Sort of.

I joined Facebook and he got a smartphone.

I am now on Facebook so I help post more of my stories I do at work in the mornings. I have a dummy page under my maiden name so that I would have a login. Now I can hopefully figure out how to post to the Fan Page my coworkers already set up for me. But I'm not sure how much I will personally post to Facebook, because I see how much time it can take up -- and I need all the time I can get while I'm at home to spend with my boys (and I'm lazy).

JB now has a Samsung touchscreen fancy phone after using a flip phone for years. He was way past eligible for an upgrade. He gets his work email on it, and it's easier for him text now -- plus he got a plan that doesn't charge him 20 cents every time he got a text.

This was part of our first text conversation:

Me: A test text for my lover.

JB: I really like this keyboard.