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.

Just one picture?!

Since we were all dressed up for the wedding last week, we thought we'd get a family picture of all of us together. It's not so easy these days.

Whoops, can't see the baby.

No Max, please don't make faces. But great smile, Benny!








Andrew is sad, Max is shy, JB and Mary are fake laughing.

Andrew's shoes, and face, say "Grrr."



The baby is squinting, but everyone else looks pretty good. It will work!

Family

It was so much fun to be with my family for my sister Rachel's wedding. Since I'm the second oldest of 12, I remember when many of my siblings were little. The youngest, Sarah, is 12 now. I was 12 when Rachel was born.

Even though I wanted to pinch her cheeks and say, "Oh, sweetie, I remember the night you were born! You were such a cute baby," I refrained from any talk like that -- I think it would have just made me look old.


The sisters.

It was great to have 3 of my brothers in town. Who else would lift my children up to touch the decorations?

Or swing them back and forth?

Or play games with them on the phone?

My mom met baby Andrew for the first time -- and gave him lots of loves.

If you sneak up on my Dad, or use a zoom lens, you can catch a smile.

I can't wait until October when we do it all again for the couple below. My brother Joe is getting married to Susan in the Nauvoo Temple!


I'll see you then, Missouri siblings o'mine.