Xanthe's Photography

Many of you might know that Xanthe is an aspiring photographer. She has already decided that it's what she wants to be when she "grows up" and has not strayed from this ambition yet. For Christmas last year, Brian and I bought her a digital camera. She seems to be pretty good and snaps pictures everywhere. She has even done a report for school on how much she loves her camera and wants to be a photographer. Welcome to her world.

SISTERS' ANTICS

I constantly find the girls doing things with Spencer that crack me up. (Or I'll admit, I help them in their antics sometimes too). But this horse one is too funny! (Btw, meet Rodeo, the horse the girls earned money to buy, brush his hair every night and sometimes let him sleep with them.)
And I don't know that the girls even know that I found these pictures. They're from Xanthe's camera.

Random Spencer Pictures

A Glimpse on How I (Spencer) Entertain Myself when Left Alone for Awhile

Disclaimer: "Random Spencer Pics" is an ongoing thread posted especially for my sisters and sisters-in-law who are always asking for pictures since we are far away. Skip if you get bored with random baby pictures.

Watching the ceiling fans............Trying to figure out how to focus on that thing (my hand) that keeps flying in front of my face every time I move...

I can't suck my thumb, so I use my whole fist instead. (He SERIOUSLY goes to town doing this)

Xanthe's Rendition of Spencer

Not too bad, eh?

Spencer's First Play Date

Hi, my name is Trey. My mom is the Girl Scout coleader with my friend, Spencer's, mom. We had a playdate two days ago at Spencer's house. Spencer's my friend. I may look a little younger than Spencer, but don't be fooled. He was born 11 days AFTER me. And people say I'M big! Anyway, we're watching YoGabbaGabba, a show we both love. At the playdate, we both drank bottles, took naps and smiled at each other. What fun!

My Wardrobe Issues

So, I'm at that stage where my maternity pants don't quite fit me anymore. Even the cute jeans with tie waist, or the ones with adjustable button bands. They just start to fall off me. And it ruins my WHOLE day cuz I have to keep adjusting. BUT I'm too fat for my regular pants! Wait...I remember this stage....it was when I was about 5 months pregnant. So, does that mean I look five months pregnant?

What can I say?

This is a "9-12 month" church outfit.

Sleepy all over again

It didn't last. The sleeping-through-the-night thing only lasted two nights. I'm back to being a zombie with him waking up every 3 hours... Do you think it's that when he slept through the night he was going through his growth spurt (yes, I know...as big as he is you would think he was going through a constant growth spurt) and now he needs to eat all the time? I CAN'T let him cry it out. I don't know why. I may have to though. Any thoughts? Does Babywise work now that he's not a newborn?

3 months old

About a week ago (yes, I'm a slacker), Spencer turned 3 months old. It's pretty weird to me because now I don't think I can consider him a newborn. I've read and heard from so many people that "there are no rules the first three months" So, now I have to institute rules? I've tried to even before he was three months old, but I just don't have the heart still. My heart melts the minute I hear his little cry... He is such a patient little baby and only whimpers when he needs to complain. It takes a lot to get him into a real screaming cry so I hate getting him to that point cuz I'm afraid I'll train him to cry that hard when he needs anything. Does that make sense?

ANYWAY, here are some cute pictures of him. Instead of listing all his milestones (which he is right on schedule with), I'll just tell you the things that is amazing and out-of-the ordinary about him. First, he LOVES Yo Gabba Gabba. It calms him down immediately, much more than a swing, bottle or Baby Einstein. He's mesmerized. He also has two teeth that have already come through. He's such a happier baby now that those have come in. He also hates pacifiers. I've tried so many kinds. He'd rather suck on his fist, my finger upside down or...well, you know...those things that we use to "naturally" feed a baby. He sits in his Bumbo so well and loves to just sit there and look around (and because he's so fat, his legs barely fit in the holes of the seat. And when I pick him up the Bumbo seat gets stuck on him). Also, he has a strong head and body and holds himself up so well. It's probably all the fat holding him up. Which is the last thing I'd say about him. He's so fat and roley poley. He's 3 months and 18 pounds. Need I say more?

P.S. I tried getting a better "3 month" picture of him smiling and laughing in his Bumbo seat, but everytime I would put him in there, he would get this straight face like someone hit his "off" button. I tried for three days. Sheesh. So, the first picture above is the best I could get with him making some sort of expression. I thought it would be funny to post the progression below.


Zoning...

As you can see from the yawning one he was clearly bored with my antics to get him to smile.

At least in this one he's getting a little excited. So, there you have it! Does it get any easier to take pictures from here on out? I remember the girls were so bad until they hit about 3 years old. They would cry so hard, especially at the JC Penney studio. So consider it a miracle if I get a good picture on here. :)

BLESSED DAY!!!! GLORY BE!!!!!

This blessed child of mine slept from 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. this morning with only one waking at 5:00 a.m. (that was 8 hours!) and then slept 4 more hours til 9 (12 hours!!!!). I hope I'm not jinxing this by writing about it, but I really feel like dancing out in the streets screaming to all who can hear. hahaha. This blogging thing is just as good, but without making a fool of myself. I really am in disbelief....I will be crossing my fingers every night for this to be an ongoing occurrence.

A WHOLE BUNCH OF CELEBRATIONS on 9/10

First off, before I start the next post I have to give a HUGE sorry to not posting on people's birthdays. The reasons are for another later post. But I got two phone calls to find out why I hadn't. So, here's to some of my favorite people...HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!


September's a big month for birthdays for my family. ESPECIALLY September 10th! I'll tell you the story of why...

FIRST, comes my mom, Nancy. Born on September 10...




Some things I love about my mom!!!



1. First, now that I'm a mom and see how hard it is, I truly appreciate her birthing 8 children. I truly can't imagine how she did it. I get so frustrated with only 3 and she had 8. How is she not on anti-psychotic meds? I also feel bad that I had taken her for granted for so many years when I was a child and teenager. I was bratty and I frequently remember being really rotten. And yet she loved me so much no matter what.



2. She is one of the most unselfish people I know. I can't believe that she got my dad to surprise me on my birthday this year (California to Arizona) because they knew I'd be spending it alone. And when we all have babies, she's always there to make dinners, take our other kids and COMPLETELY entertain them and help us through the night.



3. She loves my children like her own. She is in love with all her grandchildren and you know it. Some of them actually prefer going to her than anyone else.



4. She has such a funny sense of humor. She is the comic humor at all our cousins' retreats...dressing up in funny costumes and puts on a whole routine. Frequently she would do funny dances at home, and break into song. Sadly, I've CLEARLY inherited this from her, much to my own daughters' dismay...(heheh, they actually think it's really funny, just like I did when I was a kid).



This picture is from Ruth's WHITE TRASH BIRTHDAY PARTY at the bowling alley. I love that she gets all dressed up for stuff like that. hehe



5. She is such a great wife for my dad. She is his best audience (she laughs at everything he says) and makes him feel like a million bucks (except for when he does catering trades).



6. She and I both have a debilitating illness and I can't understand how she gets on with life, almost like nothing is even wrong. I wish people could feel it so they could truly know how she feels on a daily basis. We all take her for granted and don't help out as much as we could and should.



7. She is really talented, even though she doesn't think so. On many occasions I've been so impressed with how well she does flowers, decorates a house (her bookshelves especially were the first time I realized how good she is) and how well she plays the piano. I wish she knew how good she is.



8. She really enjoys having all of her kids around, and loves that we all get along. I think this is her true happiness in life.


9. She's such a great gift giver. Every year on Christmas, she gives all our families sentimental things, like family history books, or artwork books, or pictures of our families. She also makes sure we're all (esp the single ones) taken care of as far as presents go. She hates if any of us feel like we were jipped. hahaha. Silly us.



10. She's very cultured. She's constantly reading classic and artsy books, quoting etiquette from Emily Post and spouting off what the "proper" thing would be to do. Some of our family gets bugged that she feels guilty when we eat off paper and plastic, but I love it! I love how proper she is because it has instilled in me a good sense of propriety and ethics.



11. She's educated. She got her bachelor's degree while she had 3 children (and here I complain about having 3 children) and she is constantly reading and educating herself (even if it is the People magazine).



12. Speaking of People magazine, it's amazing how much she keeps up on all the stars and their lives, and fashion and what's going on in the news. It's pretty funny to be talking about a celebrity and have her pipe in all that's going on.



Gosh, I could go on and on...I could talk about all the things she taught me and all the advice she's given me. I should write it down though for her and give it to her, rather than posting it all on here. I know sometimes people get bored reading too much. But for her sake, I wanted her to know how much I love her and how much she means, not only to me, but to my family and my little girls. They're very much attached to her and have a hard time being away too long.



I love you mom...HAPPY BIRTHDAY....And now on to the next highlight of September 10...

MOM & DAD

FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MARRIAGE.....

My dad married mom on her 20th birthday, on September 10, 1970. They are celebrating 38 years of marriage. That's so amazing to me. Here are some things I love about my mom and dad...

1. They're just plain silly. When I found this picture I just started laughing so hard. I wish I had a picture of them at the Big Sur reunion last year. AMAZING.... Anyway, they are always breaking into song together and harmonizing with each other all sorts of old fashioned songs. They truly are two peas in a pod.
2. They love getting together with all their kids. They're so excited when we can all attend reunions and family get togethers together. My dad adamantly refuses to sell his big house because he wants a big enough place for everyone to come home to. We all don't mind that he is a stickler about this rule.

3. I love their "love story." How much more romantic can you get falling in love while touring around the world while singing and performing on stage together in a college performing group? I submit that it cannot!

4. They love putting on parties. They go to the "nines" with every party they throw. From a wedding, to a birthday party, to missionary breakfast (I'll save that for my dad's birthday), they go all out...sometimes to my mom's dismay cuz she has to clean it up. :) All our weddings, even when we swear we're going to keep it low key, end up being an extravaganza.

5. They have the best relationship. My dad hates when my mom goes away on trips and my mom loves spending time with my dad. They are always going on dates, still after all these years. They really are an example of how marriage should be.

6. They love their grandchildren. They have a special relationship with each one of them. Like I said in my mom's post, some of them prefer going to "Grammy" and "Grampa" more than anyone else. Porter is addicted to my dad, and Ruby would have a heart attack whenever she saw my mom. They even have a special relationship with Xoe & Xanthe. When we lived with them, every morning my girls ("Lucy" & "Sally", as my dad so lovingly nicknamed them) would crawl into bed with "Wally" (my dad) and "Winnie" (my mom) and watch cartoons snuggled up together. My mom would make breakfast for them and they would lay in bed until everyone HAD to get up. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! You're amazing and we miss you so much!

THEN CAME A BABY IN A BABY CARRIAGE...

My sister, Nanette, was born on my mom's birthday, September 10, 1977. She was given her name because it means "little Nancy." Nan is one of my most favorite people and these are only SOME of the reasons why...

1. She has such a funny sense of humor. We frequently are graced with her humor when she either leaves a robot message on our machine, presents in front of the whole family a t-shirt with a sloth picture of us on the front, or send us a 'Tard Card in the mail. She used to jump on my mom's back and make her run around the kitchen table or come up with some game that would cause us all to make a complete fool of ourselves. I am always in complete laughter at her sense of humor and am frequently and pleasantly surprised by her antics.

2. She is like the OPPOSITE of those who walk around with a constant ball of stress. When I need someone to help me make a decision or to help deal with a situation that won't be completely emotional about it, I call her. She is so non-stress and low key that I look to her to help deal with things sometimes. She'll also tell me if I'm obsessing about something too much, or when it's okay to obsess (like when it's okay to be overly organized, or when to just fly by the wind).

3. She has the best advice sometimes. I can always call her and she'll have an answer for me about anything...from baby care, to gardening, to church, and to helping me realize that if I was having a bad day, it could be due to the simple fact that my pants were too tight...hahahhaa.

4. She introduced me to my best friends...Jim, Pam, Michael Scott & Dwight. She made me watch my first episode, knowing that the love would last forever. We have always bonded over corporate office jobs since she and I worked in them for so long.

5. She is extremely talented. I am always amazed at how naturally talented she is at everything. She doesn't think so, but I actually turn to her lots of times for help. Her houses have always been decorated so modern, and she is one of the very few people I would ever feel comfortable with turning over a flower order to. She is also an amazing cook. All her meals are GOURMET. I love eating at her house cuz she always makes a big spread. She is THAT good.

6. She KNOWS how to find a good sale, or a good bargain from good, quality stores. She taught me about price adjustments, returns and ebay.

7. I freakin' LOVE her kids. Rocky and I have such a cute bond together and I love him like my own. They are both so stinkin smart and I know it's because of her. She's an amazing mom and she has really taught her kids to be independent and wise.

8. She loves my kids like her own. She is always so willing, and actually claims to LOVE having my girls over. She always has an "agenda" of things to do with them, but never gets stressed out by it. She also is in tune with them and has been a great mother to them when I haven't been able to. One time Xoe was feeling homesick and wanted to call me, and Nan just said to her, "Xoe, do you just need some snuggles?" And they went and snuggled on her bed and Xoe was totally fine after that.

9. One memory I have of her is when we lived in Rexburg. Since she was the sister closest to me (only 2 years younger) we frequently shared a bedroom. One night, me being my rotten self, was hogging all the covers. She kept saying, "You've got ALL the covers, and I have none." I was being so bratty and kept saying, "No I don't. Look! I don't even have ANY." Finally my mom heard us arguing, I think it was like 2 a.m., and came in. When she flipped on the light I was still insisting she had all the covers. My mom said, "Are you kidding me? Look at your side of the bed, Christy." I looked over and I had all the covers on my side of the bed bundled up on the floor. Nan was completely uncovered. I kinda remember feeling so stupid but laughing in my head at how ridiculous I was. I still laugh.

10. She was always letting her older, and way more unpopular, sister hang out with her friends, even in Rexburg when we were like 8 and 6. She always had more friends than I did, probably cuz she was way more fun. But we always walked to school together and played around the neighborhood together. Since we were so close in age, we did a lot together. Poor Nanette had a mean older sister, but somehow she forgave me and we have become better friends than I could have ever imagined.

11. She is so organized. Not only in her house, but in life in general. I know she probably feels stressed in her head, but somehow she seems to organize it all and follow through with it. She is a role model of organization of how I want to be. I can organize it in my head but I don't know how to apply it. I get too stressed out. She seems to carry it off without a hitch.

12. She loves to be out of the house. I've always wished I was as brave as she is to run a marathon, be an avid skiier or WANT to traipse her kids all over Target, or somewhere else, on a daily basis. She always has to get out of the house with her kids whereas I tend to be a homebody. But watching how she does it with ease, I've been going out more and more, and actually enjoying it.

13. She asked me a couple weeks ago if we used to do shows together...and oh boy did we! Nan, NOW do you believe me? This little ditty was called "Momma's little baby loves shortenin shortenin, Momma's little baby loves shortenin bread."

14. Nanette is one of the most giving people I know. And you KNOW there are never any strings attached. She loves to give cuz it not only makes the other person happy, but it makes her happy too. From her Bed and Breakfast house, to finding clothes on sale for your kid, she is always thinking of other people and how she can make them happy.

15. On that same note, I feel like she gives to me way more than I give to her and for some of the things she has done for me, I don't think I could ever make up for it in return. I'm older in age than her, but she is really like an older sister to me (as is my other sister, Amber...but that's for her birthday). She is always calling me to check on me, or to see how I'm doing. And every time I've ever gotten myself into a really bad bind with my life, I have gone to her house as a refuge. She calls it "Christy's Halfway House" where I go to recover. She has literally taken care of me when I couldnt' take care of myself.

I can't even say enough about my sister, Nanette. I totally feel like I'm forgetting so much.

She is amazing. Like I've said about my brother Scott (in his post below), she is going straight to heaven. I can't think of any faults that she could have. She is truly perfect in my eyes and I get choked up when I think about her. Thank you Nanette for not only being a great sister, but a great friend.

Not Again...........

Anyone remember my post about the random unnecessary comments people said to me when I was pregnant? (I can't post the link cuz I don't know how...)

And anyone hear about the three, count them THREE, stories from the Whiting Reunion (6 weeks AFTER having the baby) when people were asking me if I was expecting, when was I due, and my favorite...the cousin who, as she was looking at me earlier during the day, thought that God did a disservice to men because they married beautiful, cute wives who turned frumpy and ugly after they had a baby. Uhhhh, what?

Okay, so I WAS wearing a bit of a tight fitting shirt (which I forthwith changed out of very quickly) but come on...just stop...she had what I call Diarrhea Mouth.

So, even today, I don't think I look that bad, considering. My baby barely turned 2 1/2 months and I'm breastfeeding so I can't diet. And I haven't just let myself go. I try to eat well and go to Baby Boot Camp (yes, it's boot camp...my husband died when he went) 3-4 times a week. Even still, you should just NEVER say stuff like that. NEVER. People are so unnecessary.

So, as of yesterday and today, I received two more unnecessary comments.

Example 1: The little old lady handing out foil samples at the grocery store asked me this,

"Are you already expecting another or just haven't lost the weight from him?"

I said, "Oh, he's only 2 months old, even though he looks 6. And no, I'm not." I handed her sample back and walked away. I wish I could have come up with a wittier retort.


Example 2: The little Mexican man that came to my door looking for work. I gave him the work. I needed my rose bushes weeded as it was a jungle since the monsoon rains had started. What I was wanting to only pay $50, he swindled $120 out of me (granted it was horrible work). But I did it cuz I felt sorry for him. Plus he was really nice and very talkative, which helped me learn that he just got divorced, has four kids and was always looking for work, and he was willing to do anything...this DIDN'T help the sympathy factor on my part cuz it only made me feel more sorry for him. (He reminded me of Pedro of "Josie & Pedro"...my family knows who he is). I liked him right away.

Until...

He said to me, TWICE mind you, "You going to have another baby?"

I said, "You mean, do I want more babies?"

He pointed to my stomach and said, "No, you have more babies in your stomach?"

I handed him his money and said thank you for the nice job. Don't call us. We'll call you.

Btw, I know it's Nan's and my mom's birthday today. I'll be posting later on. I haven't forgotten you. I just had to get that out of my system.

DID I MENTION?

Did I mention that XANTHE got her first tooth at 2 months old and XOE at 3 months? I just thought it was cuz of all the steroid shots they had given me when I was pregnant to make their lungs grow (because they were going to deliver me 8 weeks early), but thought it was a side effect that it also made their teeth mature. Guess not! Must run in the family...2 Months! SO not liking this.

A "First" I DON'T Like

So, many of us with babies have posted "firsts" of new milestones our babies make. Anything from a first doctor visit, first long car trip, first outfit, etc. Well, here's one I DON'T like...TEETHING. Yup...that's right...Spencer's getting his first TWO...not just one...TEETH. Does anyone remember how old he is? Well, scroll down to find the TWO MONTH picture next to the peach tree.



Yup, we just spent all day doing the whole cocktail...Homeopathic teething tablets, Tylenol (two doses), Ibuprofen, Adult Anbesol (just a tiny bit cuz I didn't have any Orajel...who knew I'd have to be prepared this early?), wet washrag, teething rings, ice AND of course...Orajel.



Seriously? Teething sucks! Why do kids have to go through this? The minute I thought I had his whole schedule figured out, he starts teething. He was awake all day yesterday (wailing of course) and is now asleep all day today. But I have no idea how long I have until he wakes up, so I all I can do is sit waiting in anticipation...Hopefully he wakes up a happy kid. Oh, and by the way, he has a poopy diaper and I'm not ABOUT to change it for fear of bringing on the teething crying again.



Remind me again why we do this...heehee...just kidding...no really, why?