October

We had a fun and very busy October.  The adjustment to two kids has been rough...but I find that I am the happiest on days that we are busy and can get out of the house.  The first Saturday in October we headed over to Home Depot for the Kids Clinic.  Phin and Seth built and painted a fire truck for Fire Prevention Month.  We also got an up close view of a real firetruck.

We live close to two local libraries and have started to go to story time weekly.  Phin isn't great at sitting still during the actual stories...but he loves the craft at the end.

We did spend quite a bit of time relaxing in October as well.  We watched the Back to the Future Trilogy as a family.  I love these pictures...pretty much my whole heart on one couch.

Our local Youth Council held a Halloween event at a local park.  We went to their Easter activity and it was packed...this time we were one of the only families to attend.  Phin got to decorate a pumpkin cookie, participate in a bean bag toss and jump in a bounce house to his hearts content.

The Natural History Museum up in Research Park had a free admission day. We love the view from their observation deck.

We headed out to Gardner Village one gorgeous day.  It was fun to look for all of the witches and the weather was gorgeous.

Beth, Eliza and Lily met us out there.  We found a pirate during our visit.

We also fed the ducks...and found that ducks prefer corn over bread.

The Thursday of UEA we headed to Frightmares at Lagoon.  Papa was executive of the day and was able to hang out with us most of the day.  JB brought his four boys out, Sarah and Kate were down from Idaho and we also invited Amy and Zoey to come along.  We had a big group and we had a great time.

Millie took her first ride on the train.  Papa was more than happy to hold her during the ride.

Phin and Zoey got a little antsy in line for the corn maze.  Here they are doing some yoga poses.

The whole crew getting a train whistle in the corn maze.

This has to be Kate and Phin's favorite ride...they laugh the entire time.

The next day Sarah and Kate went out to the Cross E Ranch with us.  It is a cute little ranch just in North Salt Lake.

The kids had an amazing time playing in the corn pit...we pretty much had to drag them out.  I borrowed this picture from Sarah's Instagram.

We also got to go on a hayride with up close views of the cows.

Phin and Kate also loved the kid's corn maze.  It was fun to see them running around...they were pretty good at navigating through the maze.

They also got to  climb the hay pyramid.

After the ranch we stopped at the local Maverick for some frozen yogurt...our favorite flavor yet...chocolate and salted caramel.

We loved Cross E ranch so much that we headed back the following week with Amy, Zoey and Amy's mom Barb.    I borrowed this picture from Amy's blog... the kids doing corn angels.

The Davis County Sheriff's office held a trick or treating event the week before Halloween.  Phin dressed up as a cowboy.  We had found the cowboy boots at the DI a few weeks before.  He slept in them the first night...needless to say we thought he would love to be a cowboy for Halloween.

We were able to see all of the special vehicles up close which was fun.

We also did some trunk or treating at a local grocery store the weekend before Halloween.  Grandma Jo and Grandad were down for the weekend and were able to join in the fun.

Seth and Phin carved our pumpkins.

We thought Phin would love pulling out the pumpkin guts...he did not.

The Monday before Halloween we enjoyed a Jack-O-Lantern Pizza from Papa Murphy's.

We also had Amy and Zoey over to decorate some Halloween cookies.

The library story time was shortened to allow trick-or-treating through the library.  This time we were running late...so Phin got to be a football player.

Seth's work also invited families to come in and trick or treat.  We were one of the only families to attend...so Phin got lots of candy.

Halloween Day we were up in Cache Valley for the annual family party.  We started the day off at Lee's grocery store for trick or treating.  They gave out cookies, toothbrushes, string cheese, popcorn balls etc.  

They also had a pretty impressive spook alley.  Someone was dressed up as a monkey in a box...as Phin walked by he said "Scary Monkey,"

Isn't Cache Valley gorgeous!  This photo was taken in Aunt Jill's yard in Mendon.  We sure love our cowboy.

Here is our family photo before the party got started.  Phin and Seth were cowboys...Millie and I were Care Bears.  She is Love-A-Lots because all she wants is loves.  I am Sleepy Time Bear because all I want is sleep.

Here is a photo of the Phin and Millie with all of their cousins.

Each family was in charge of an activity.  We had everyone make ghosts and bats.  We dipped Nutter Butter cookies  in white chocolate for the ghosts and made the eyes out of chocolate chips.  The bats were made from mini Reese's peanut butter cups, Oreos and candy eyes.

Phin loved rotating between stations with all of the cousins close to his age.  Here he is painting a hand print spider.

We turned Seth into a mummy at Matt and Emily's station.

Phin also got to play a hot potato like game with a witches broom at Beth and Philip's station.  When the broom landed on one of the kids they got to ride it around the yard.

We had to leave the party early...so we missed quite a few stations.  We wanted to get home and trick-or-treat in our own neighborhood.  Here is a picture before we set out.  We had a great time meeting our neighbors and Phin really cleaned up.  Some of our neightbors gave out full size candy bars, cans of pop or small bags of chips.

Happy Halloween!

1 MONTH

Millie turned one month a couple of weeks ago.  At her two week check up she weighed 7.94 ounces (37th percentile) and was 21.25 inches (83rd percentile) long.  She wore newborn clothes and diapers for her entire first month of life.  I have already noticed that I am taking fewer pictures...I didn't even get my act together enough to print out some monthly picture stickers...so I will just have to type in the words with Photoshop...at least I had my act together enough to take a monthly picture.

We took quite a few trips to the pediatrician during Millie's first month.  When Millie was about a week old I started to notice some white spots on her tongue.  I was worried that we might have thrush.  We walked down to my best friend Amy's house and had her look...her little guy had thrush just a few weeks before.  Amy thought it looked like it might be thrush...it is so nice to have my best friend just a few houses down to comfort me when I need some comfort.  We got into the pediatrician later that day and started the medicine for thrush.  I also had a cracked nipple which made nursing quite painful.  While we were at the appointment for thrush the nurse wanted to complete the PKU newborn screening card so Millie got her foot pricked. 

The next week we had Millie's two week appointment and by then her cord had fallen off so the doctor put some silver stuff on to help her belly button heal.  He covered it up with a band-aid so it wouldn't stain her clothing.  The doctor also said he thought she might not have thrush and may just have a geographic tongue...basically sometimes she has white stuff on her tongue that changes shape.  We left the office just to be called a couple of hours later with news that they didn't get enough blood for the PKU card so we needed to go back in the next day.  

While we were getting ready the next day I changed the band-aid on Millie's belly button and the skin around her belly button peeled off.  I freaked out.  So at the appointment for another PKU heel prick we had the doctor check her belly button.  He was worried too but just recommended Neosporin and gave me some cloth squares to help protect her from the band-aid.    

Here is a little collage of weekly pictures.  Her hair has quite a bit of red and blonde highlights. Overall, I think her hair lightens up each time we wash it.  She may end up being a Blondie after all.

Millie's first night home from the hospital was rough.  She had five poopy diapers between 10 pm and 5 am...and I had to change the sheets in her bassinet twice due to major spit-ups.  It seemed like every-time I would get ready to lay down and close my eyes I would just have to get back up.  Her sleeping improved over the first four weeks and we have settled in to more of a routine.  Phin shared a cold with her which made it hard for her to sleep on her back...so she has spent quite a bit of time tucked under my arm at night.

This picture was taken when Millie was just a week old.  I loved looking at her feet.  In the first few weeks they were often curled up close to her and crossed.  It was amazing to see just how flexible her joints were.  I could just picture those feet tucked up under my rib cage.

She had her first official bath at Nona's house.  She didn't love it at first but then she settled right in.  She has had a few baths with Phin since then as well.

We were visiting Nona one day when I realized that Nona and Millie were wearing matching outfits.

We continued to have visitors in Millie's first month.  Here she is meeting Aunt Tawnya, Uncle Jami and Cousin Jameson. 

People often asked how I was feeling and were surprised to see me out and about.  From the moment Millie was out I felt pretty great.  It is almost like the song "To be human again" in Beauty and the Beast...I finally feel human again.  Here we are at an Ultimate Frisbee game for Seth.

 

People have asked who Millie looks like.  I think she looks quite a bit like Phin.  Their coloring is different but I think they have very similar expressions.  Here she is in what was one of Phin's favorite sleeping poses.

When Millie was almost four weeks old we headed to Sacrament meeting for the first time.  We decided to all wear a little yellow.

When we aren't getting out of the house, we can often be found lounging around on the couch.  I love these baby cuddles.

And now an update on Phin...
He has been a wonderful big brother.  I have told many people that he just seems to orbit around me and Millie.  He has definitely hit the terrible twos and at times tries my patience...but at other times he just melts my heart. He is talking up a storm and can carry on quite a conversation.  Some of my favorite phrases "I did it," "play with me,"and  "I love you mommy." He has become quite a bit more opinionated...his first response is almost no followed quickly by "I want it."  He is absolutely obsessed with the show Team Umizoomi and he sings the theme song for Sponge Bob when he watches it with Seth.  He loves going to nursery and will point out pictures of Jesus in the hallway at church.  He has started to repeat words of prayers after us.  Here he is "pwaying" at my feet as I nursed Millie.

 

He is often near when Millie has tummy time.

When I tried to take her monthly picture this is what happened.

I was reading Elder Holland's talk from the October conference where he said "no love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love of  devoted mother has for her child."  I am extremely grateful that I am blessed to be a mother and experience that kind of love. Thank you for coming to our family Millicent Mae.