Trouble

Ryan's new nickname is "Trouble." It has gotten progressively worse as he has learned to get around on his own. First the army crawl at age 7 1/2 months. Then he mastered the hands and knees crawl by 10 months, which was quickly followed by the pulling up on everything. Finally, a few weeks before his first birthday he took his first steps. I can only imagine that the trouble will get worse!



June 30, 2011- Ryan was just learning to stand. He always came crawling whenever I would do laundry. The front loading washer is one of the best babysitters I ever bought.

















Washers are cool, but so is the camera. Let me see that...














July 21, 2011- Ryan in the dryer. It is so hard to do laundry sometimes with all of his "help." But he is one of the cutest laundry helpers I have ever had.









July 30, 2011- Ethan was so kind as to share some of his ice cream cone with Ryan.













September 9, 2011- He must have the same talent as his big sister Erin. I can always tell when those two get some chocolate. And usually so proud of it too.







September 18, 2011- Another incriminating chocolate picture. Just a few chocolate chips please...












September 24, 2011- Ryan figures out he can get where he wants to go by pushing the kitchen chairs around on the tile as a walker. Then he doesn't have to stop and crawl the rest of the way if he falls.







Now he has moved on to walking unassisted, and is getting faster and better everyday. Last week he was upstairs with me while my visiting teacher was over. Ryan disappeared from the room for a while. I just assumed he was in the kitchen. Moments later I heard Katelyn yelling from downstairs for Ryan to get away from her toys! He had crawled all the way downstairs by himself. I knew he could come up, but not down. He does it all the time now, usually by sliding on his tummy backwards on the kitchen tile toward the stairs. Then he heads feet first all the way down like Superman in reverse. What a crackup! The entire house is now his domain and he comes and goes as he wishes. (Much to the dislike of his sister Miss K.)

The Painting of the Purple

When we bought our house, Katelyn got the boy Mario room. We promised her a new paint job soon. Soon has come later than sooner, but it is finally finished! She helped to pick out her new purple butterfly bedding and the coordinating wall color. Only two walls were painted purple, and the other two white. Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. It took two days (thanks to the four coats it took to cover, even with primer), but she is happy. She was excited to help on every coat and is so excited to show it off to everyone that comes over.




Katelyn happily gets things going. She has been patiently waiting a long time for this.














One coat is never enough. It ended up taking 4!















Some of the not-so-happy help.










Finally in the new purple room with her new bedding.












Ryan shouldn't mind for another year or so, right?

Discovery Park

(Click on the picture to make it bigger)

We have been trying to have lots of low-cost or free fun while dad is home to play too. One night we headed over to Discovery Park for a picnic and to play and enjoy the evening. The kids had so much fun. What a great find for adventures close to home!

Sego Lily Carnival

We decided to check out the school carnival this year. It was perfect weather and there was so much to do. There were pony rides, train rides, face painting, hair coloring, sno cones, cotton candy, a dunk tank (Erin and Ethan dunked the principal!), small carnival games and lots of silent auction baskets. Ethan won a 2 liter of orange soda from a ring toss game. Even Ryan had a fun time riding around in the stroller watching all the events.

Back to School

"The days get short, the nights get cool, and all the kids go back to school."

That's exactly how I am feeling. School started. Back then it was still hot and summery. Ethan and Erin took the plunge first. Then a week later it was time for my youngest daughter, Katelyn, to take her first adventures in school too. They are all adjusting to earlier bedtimes and routines that include homework and after school snacks. We are learning to love a new area and a new school all at the same time. The kids are making new friends, and Jeff and I are contributing members to a ward once again. The summer days of play are over. The crisp of fall is in the air again. It is my favorite season. Perhaps I am ready for a break from the summer heat. Maybe it's the changing colors all around. I do enjoy some hot chocolate and a blanket too. So welcome fall! You have been missed.

Here are some traditional back to school pictures from this year.

Erin's first day of 3rd Grade

Ethan's first day of of 6th grade

Katelyn's first day of Kindergarten

The new purple backpack

The oldest three on Katelyn's first day.

Go Roadrunners!

Zoo Fun

** As I attempt to get caught up on my blog, I wanted to start with the newest stuff. It's just more fun that way. Please bear with me...


Last week my sister Heather and I went to the zoo with the kiddos, and Jeff came too since he is on a permanent vacation from his job. It was overcast all morning, with a few scattered raindrops, which kept things cooler. By the time we left it was blazing hot though. The kids loved seeing the elephants and giraffes. We actually went to the Bird Show- a first for us after 10+ years visiting the Hogle Zoo. It was a big hit with the kids and adults. Abram's favorite thing was riding in the stroller. Ryan was so good and even fell asleep on Jeff's shoulder for a little nap after our picnic lunch. And of course we had to ride the train before we left- a number 1 thing on Abram and Katelyn's list.


The traditional "hatching in the egg" picture. I can't believe that they all fit in it! These days are definitely numbered.

The zoo gimmick this time was "Zoorassic Park." There were animatronic dinosaurs scattered about. Most of them were pretty realistic. These are some of the ones we found. Ethan loved it!

And some more fun pics- just because.

After the zoo Heather came over to our house to have dinner and hang out for a while. I caught this cute picture of our boys playing together on the floor. Ryan is older than Jeremiah by three months, but they are already the same size!

Red, White and Blue

This year, we were able to celebrate America's Independence over an entire weekend.

Saturday morning started out with the Freedom Festival's Balloon Fest. Some of this year's favorites included the pink piggy (Katelyn), Darth Vader (Ethan & Dad), Coke Bottle (Erin), and mom liked the fact that they launched this year! It was a longer drive to get there this year, but definitely worth it. We might be sucked in for life now that we actually saw them all take off! After the balloons, we headed over for a pancake breakfast put on by the Sidewalk of Fire Committee.

Later that evening we participated in some neighborhood firework fun. Jeff also added some additional excitement by launching rockets, taffy, and glow sticks with his launcher. The kids had a blast and it was great getting to know some of our new neighbors better.

Monday was the actual 4th of July. We went to the Petersen family BBQ late in the afternoon. Our kids loved running amok with their cousins while the adults conversed. After filling our tummies, we headed over for the 7th annual Sidewalk of Fire. It is the best neighborhood show around. Jeff and I served on the committee again this year. Activities included a street carnival with games, face painting, fish ponds, and eating contests. Then came the rocket and taffy launching. Afterwards was the children's parade. (All this was accompanied by the best DJ SWofF has ever seen!) At dark the real show began. It was more spectacular than ever, partially due to the new Utah law allowing aerial fireworks. Even the rain couldn't dampen our spirits. By the time we got home all tired bodies climbed into bed. It was a great evening!

I didn't get my camera out for the Sidewalk of Fire- Shame on me! Somewhere between 4 kids, the rain, and all the fun I just forgot. But Jeff did manage to catch the girls face painted cheeks with his Ipod. Yea dad!





Katelyn

Erin

Yes

Just a quick note to say that we are alive. We moved to our new house over the weekend. The kitchen is unpacked, but there is still much to do. Beds are set up and made, toys are everywhere, but we are happy. The kids are on summer vacation. We are trying to adjust to that as well as getting settled. We have a new phone number which I keep meaning to email out, but haven't done yet. So send me a comment or email if you would like it sooner than I get to it.

I am way behind on blogging. Someday I hope to get caught up. Someday.

Posts to look forward to:
Easter
Erin's 8th Birthday and Baptism
Jeff's 36th Birthday
Katelyn's Sleep Study and Diagnosis
Grandma's Funeral
Ryan's 8 month update
The Move
Ethan's 11th Birthday

Movin' on Up

To the East side- of the neighborhood. So we are officially no longer homeowners. We accepted an offer on our home, and 9 days later we are closed and moved out. (Of course that week included Spring Break for 5 days, an 8th birthday, medical consultations, and lots of phone calls and packing.) It has been a crazy, stressful, and exhausting week, but we made it! We are currently abiding in a rental until we can find a suitable home to purchase. We have the same home phone number which will be hooked back up in a few days. We are anxious to start the search for our "real" house and hope to make that move in the next few months.

Ryan- 6 months

Ryan turned 6 months old a few weeks ago. Here are the stats from his doctor's appointment:

Height- 27 inches (69 %tile)

Weight- 17 lbs. 2 oz. (41 %tile)

Head Circumference- 16.5 inches (8 %tile)

Ryan is the most happy baby I have ever had. He really is a great baby. Still a good night sleeper and getting better at his nap taking. In the last month he has learned to roll from back to front. In the last few days he has become a rolling champion. He will roll both ways and can maneuver to reach toys on his tummy. He has been introduced to rice cereal. He is slowly tolerating it. He likes to blow raspberries right when I get a full spoon up to his mouth, thereby making a lovely mess of himself and me. He is enjoying playing in the bouncy car. He is very smiley, and loves to giggle especially for his older brother Ethan. I can tell that he wants to be bigger than he is. I think that he will be an early mover, crawler, walker so he can keep up with everyone else. Trying out the highchair for the first time. 3-30-2011

Ryan's new squishy nose face. Perfected at Grandma's Easter Egg Hunt. 4-2-2011

Trying rice cereal for the first time. 4-3-2011

Playing in the bouncy car. 4-7-2011

What's Up?

Yeah. Some days I feel completely overwhelmed, and then like nothing is happening at all. But lately...

We put our house back up for sale. Anyone interested in a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom awesome townhouse? We love it here, but are in desperate need of a garage, yard, and shorter commute for Jeff. Trying to keep a house clean that 6 people LIVE in is not making me very happy at the moment.

I took Katelyn back up to Primary Children's for another appointment with the neurologists. They didn't have any new answers for me, but we are going to see a more specialized neuromuscular neurologist. Problem- booked out until July. Why? We will also be going to get a sleep study done on K, hopefully sooner than July. This will help to figure out some of her wacky sleep issues and decide on a tonsillectomy (or not?) for sure.

I'm headed to Kentucky this weekend for a surprise visit for my mom's 60th birthday. She has no clue. It is going to be so fun. My sisters and oldest brother are also coming. Ryan is coming along too. Jeff is the best husband ever and is staying home with the older three for four days. More on that when I get back.

I got to go to maturation with Ethan at school. They told him all about his body changes that will happen. Coach did a great job, despite all the giggly 5th grade boys. Ethan already knew it all. When Ryan is old enough I think Jeff will get to go with him.

When I got back from maturation I had two hours to get the house ready for a showing, all while trying to keep a little, tired boy happy and trying to pack for my trip. I'm ready for a vacation.

Kentucky here I come!

Arrow of Light

Ethan earned his Arrow of Light at pack meeting a few days ago. Way to go Ethan! He still has two months until he moves on to the Boy Scouts and has a goal to earn all 20 Webelos badges by then. We are so proud of Ethan and grateful to have him in our family. He is a hard worker, a great big brother, and he will still give me hugs and cuddles. It is hard for me to believe that he is almost 11. Time passes so quickly. In the pictures: Ethan earned his award the same night as his best friend Trey. Ethan and his awesome cubmaster Lana Dansie. A picture with mom and dad. Special presenter Bruce Jensen made the ceremony very special. Ethan pinning the mother's pin on his momma.

Green Day

I had some grand plans for St. Patrick's Day. Most of them fell apart. We all wore green, though I didn't get a picture before Ryan acquired an outfit change and Katelyn was in no mood for pictures. The Leprechaun remembered to come and turn the milk green, and we did have a yummy dinner of green waffles, green milk, green eggs, and sausage. I love to celebrate this holiday with my kids, just because. I hope it keeps being a fun family tradition for them and makes some memories at the same time. Hopefully next year things will be even more fun.

5 Months

A week ago Ryan turned 5 months old!

Here is what he is up to now:
~He laughs. Especially when he gets "hi-yaaa"ed by his siblings and daddy.
~He has discovered his feet. He tries to eat them especially when in his bumbo seat.
~He can hold toys and is starting to reach and grab for them.
~He has rolled over front to back twice. Once while mom was watching, and once as a surprise for mom.
~He is still a very smiley, happy and drooly boy.
~He figured out how to blow his spit everywhere. I believe *blowing raspberries* is the cute name for it .
~He is reachy and leany. This means that it is very difficult to eat with him on my lap anymore. I guess I need to get out the highchair. It is also hard to type because he likes to help.
~His hair is growing! It is blond and fuzzy and looks like he has a perfect buzz cut, albeit a rather short one.

Some of his smiley guy action.

He likes to push up on his hands when on his tummy. Crawling prep.



Here is some of that feet action I was discussing earlier.








Ryan and big sister Erin.




Taking a quick nap while mommy gets ready.

He has been a sick boy this past week. He was diagnosed with an ear infection and RSV. He is a lot happier now and feeling better. Now if I can just get him back to sleeping through the night.

KK Update

I took Miss K back to doctor this week. We went to go see a different specialist, Dr. Osguthorpe. After listening to the whole story, asking lots of questions, and examining Katelyn, he confirmed that her original diagnosis of Cerebellar Ataxia is correct. Her ataxia (wobbliness) has improved to me over 50% since she was first seen. It is definitely not gone, but is improving. I notice it more when she is tired. It is basically going to just take more time for her brain to completely recover. This was reassuring to me. I had been worried about just waiting things out. What if there was something else wrong that we could fix- to help her get better faster? It make take several more months, but at least I know that we are on the right track. When I asked him about her starting kindergarten in the fall, he told me that he expected her to make a full recovery and she should be fine in school this fall. What a relief! I seriously feel like a huge burden has been lifted and that makes all the waiting a little easier to take.

A really good thing that came out of the visit- the doctor told Katelyn that she is BETTER. Even though she is still recovering, it is important for her to know she can do all the things that she used to do. She can make her bed, clear her dinner dishes, play with friends, go to preschool, etc. She has regressed emotionally and socially to where she was at 2 1/2 to 3 years old. She has been having lots of temper tantrums and being really moody and defiant. The doctor said this is really common for kids who are sick for a long time. The best thing to fix this is to get her back into her old routines. Thankfully, now that she believes she is BETTER, she has been acting a lot better. Amazing. She still know that she is wobbly sometimes, but she told me that "it is not attacking my brain anymore."

When she was sick she never wanted to go to bed, but rather would stay up later with Jeff and I. Now that she is better she told me, "Mom, I am better now so I can't stay up late anymore." Yep, that's right. This has applied to lots of things, but has made my life a lot better too. It is amazing what the mind can do. We still have moments, but I'll take moments over all day, every day. I am so excited to be finally getting my Miss K back!

Meeting Miah

Due to all the complications surrounding my sister's delivery, my kids didn't get to meet their new cousin Jeremiah for a while. When they finally got the chance they were so excited! Ryan is only a little more than 3 months older than Jeremiah. They definitely grow so fast!


Sweet Jeremiah at 2 weeks, 2 days old.

4 Months

This smiley Ry guy is 4 months old! I took him into the doctor this morning for a well check. Here are the new stats:

Weight: 15 lbs. 11 oz. (64 %tile)

Height: 26.5 inches (92 %tile)

Head Circumference: 16 inches (12 %tile)

Ryan sleeps for 8 hours at night. He loves to smile and drool. His newest discovery is that he has hands. He likes to hold toys and eat his hands a lot. He is a very happy baby. He's usually only sad if he needs a diaper change, a bottle, or a nap. He can turn 180 degrees while lying on his tummy. We have heard a few real giggles so far and look forward to many more. He still doesn't have much hair, but it looks to be blonde. His eyes are still blue. Ryan loves to kick while laying on his back and when getting his diaper changed. He is a very active mover and I think that we'll be in for some trouble as he gets bigger!

A few more pics from the past month:


Smiley Ry Guy

1-11-2011

With brother Ethan.

Sleeping on dad.

1-15-2011

Bowling with the family (and mom).

1-18-2011

Getting some time in with Grandpa H.

1-25-2011