He loves it.

Jacob is too funny. He started really smiling these past few days. Never for the camera, however. But, he has started something that could probably be my favorite thing ever. Looking at his pictures, it's obvious that he likes to eat. He's a good little eater. When I get ready to feed him, he'll be laying on my lap with this HUGE smile and gets all squirmy...like he is SO excited. He'll usually start cooing and squealing. It is hilarious. Already at 6 weeks old he knows to get excited like that. He's a funny kid who REALLY loves to eat!

Ashlyn Blatter

Who thinks my sister should make her own blog?? I do! I do! And then she can show off her cute little girls more! I should have blogged about this about a month ago...but I forgot. Sorry. BUT...Alison and Matt had little Ashlyn December 27th. She is so cute! Such huge eyes, and cute little features. She's a keeper. I hear Rylee loves her, too. Thank goodness for big sisters! Ashlyn was blessed on Sunday. We wished we could have been there. But, she looked very cute in her dress. I love looking at pictures of her, she has the best facial expressions! She's a cutie. Good job, Matt and Alison!

Chunky Monkey

 

Can you believe this kid? He's getting so big. His belly is kind of awkwardly shaped. It kind of concerned us a bit. But...the doctor assured us that it's normal, he's just a big kid! He's obviously a very good eater, right? I'm sure there will be more naked baby pictures to come. With chubby babies, they are just the best kind! We've got many of Macie! Noah was just a solid little man, not rolly poly and squishy, so we'll see how Jacob ends up. It's crazy to see how much he's grown in just a short 5 week time. He's already in 3-6 month clothes, and filling those out pretty well...and he's even moving up to a size 2 diaper! Goodness. My arm muscles will return. I was pretty buff with Macie...only one arm, however. I'll have to practice holding Jacob with both arms to even out the buffness!

Solvang

 

On Saturday we decided to go to Solvang. We have wanted to go since we moved here. It was fun. It's a Danish town, kind of like Jackson Hole with a Danish flair! There are really just a lot of shops, and Danish architecture. It looked more Dutch to me, however. Most of the shops were a "hand behind your back" kind of store. If you look at the top third picture, the kids were being very good to keep their little hands behind their back. Noah and Macie got to make their first flat penny...that was a big hit! But, the only drawback to that is, they will probably want to make more. We didn't go authentic with the food, though. Just a sandwich at Subway. We were safe there, we knew we'd like it! I guess we were very adventurous. Adam called his Dad to see what we should eat...he actually said we'd be happier at Subway. So...that's where we ended up. We did get some pretty good fudge at a fudge shop. It was fun, we may even go back!

{Adam has more picture on his camera...it may be a little bit before he gets those off his camera, though. Check back.}

Lost.

I haven't taken the kids out for a while, it seems. I have just been waiting for Adam to come home, and then I take one kid, or sometimes 2 to the store. Today, I went to Target. I have Jacob in the basket of the cart, and Macie in the front. Noah was hanging on to the side. It was working out. And then the toys got closer and closer. So, I let Macie out. The toy section is right across from the baby section. I was looking at all of the great clearance deals, that I don't need, but that are such a good deal. {I didn't buy anything, however...I'm being good.} But I was watching the kids...I thought. I looked up and I didn't see Noah. He was gone. I called for him, but he didn't call back. I panicked. I picked up Macie, and started running around screaming for Noah. A guy ran up to me, and asked if I was looking for a little blond boy...a lady in a pink sweater was taking him up to the front. I ran up to the front, still holding Macie. She kept slipping, but I was trying to fast to get to Noah. I still couldn't see him. I got to the front...no sign of him or the lady. I started to REALLY worry now. I just KNEW he was kidnapped. I started crying. Something dropped from our cart, and a lady said, "Miss, you dropped something." I just replied, "I don't care, I lost my son." She panicked probably more than me. She ran up to the closest person in a red shirt and khakis...yes they did work for Target. They didn't know anything. And then on the loudspeaker I hear, "Would Lindsay Christensen please come to Electronics." I started walking back, and there he was with the lady in the pink sweater. She wasn't a kidnapper afterall. The security guy said that they wanted to call for Noah's mother to come to electronics, but Noah told them his name was Wolverine. So they tried an alternative, not thinking a 4 year old would know his mother's name. But, he did. Smart kid, that Noah. And they even understood him! I was so shaken up about it. The lady that panicked with me, kept asking me if she could buy me a soda, or just anything, because she said I looked a little shaken. But, we survived. Thank you nice lady. And thank you pink sweater lady for not taking my son, and helping him find his mother that he ran away from. And this was just yet ANOTHER Target saga. We need to stop going to Target.

busted.

We had quite the day on Saturday. We started by going to Solvang, a Danish town about 40 minutes south of us. I'll post more about that when my camera battery charges. And then we decided to take back some plates that we got at Cost Plus back in like August! I was sick of having them in the garage, and figured it was as good of a time as any. And we wanted to get lingonberries so we could have AUTHENTIC Swedish Pancakes. {we don't have an IKEA nearby, so Cost Plus was our closest bet!} They did have the berries, and we were able to take back the plates even without a receipt. Our day had been pretty good.

We remembered that our friends, Chris and Amelia, from Rexburg had recently moved close by to attend grad school. So, we called them up and decided since were in the neighborhood we would meet up for dinner, which was only a walk across the street for them. We enjoyed "Kung Fu Panda Polar Express," as Noah called it. Or, Panda Express to everyone else. We hadn't been there in the longest time. It was good. Our friends had a little boy, Burton, not long after we moved from Rexburg. And our kids loved him. In fact, they are still talking about him wondering if he can come to their house in the morning. But, they were all running around the restaurant like crazies. A table of older ladies kept glaring at us, and rolling their eyes, like we were disturbing their dinner. But if you think by going to a fast food place for dinner, you'll be eating peacefully, you better just stay at home!! Save your money. But, anyway, after a while of this chaos, we decided to just go to their house. They lived in apartment complex across the street. We drove over there and met them. There was a parking spot right in front of their apartment that they said no one ever parks in. Lucky for us...it was raining, and we have the little baby, so it was good. We hung out for about 2 hours, just talking, and reminiscing about good ol' Rexburg. Oh, how we miss Rexburg, and the cheap rent! But it was fun. We have 9 AM church, so we thought we should probably leave. So, we packed up, said our goodbyes, and walked out the door. As we start going down the stairs, I look up. Our car is gone. The parking spot is empty. Where in the crap is our car?? I had a thought about an hour before we left that we left the car unlocked, but didn't worry about it.

Chris ran over to the Manager's apartment, while Amelia worried he would get into a fight. But, he came back, a little mad...the manager towed us. Luckily it was just towed and not stolen. Adam called the tow company. Yes, they towed us, and yes it would be 250 bucks to get the car back. Oh my goodness. We are still paying doctor bills from Noah and the infamous green bead he stuck up his nose last year about this time. I was so mad...we didn't have an extra 250 to throw around! But...nursing calms me down...I nursed. I was pretty calm about it. Amelia insisted we take money from them to help with the fees. We probably couldn't have done it without them. Thanks guys...we owe you...we WILL pay you back. Adam retrieved our car, and we were good to go. The tow guy said he was taking his time when he realized their were 3 car seats in the car. He was trying to have a heart, but in the end, he just didn't. The stupid manager guy, I guess, parks in handicapped parking all of the time. And another truck is always double parked, in a spot that isn't even his, but he's never been towed. And Chris and Amelia just got a car that they haven't reported. It hasn't been towed. It's the BYUI license plate cover, I tell ya! Just kidding. But it does make you wonder, huh?

Anyway, we have our car. We are a little poorer. But that's okay. We have friends here now, too. I guess we really do have to pay to have friends!Ü It was a fun night, however. Thanks guys. We need to do it again soon...just at our house, we have a driveway.

Wow. All three kids side by side. They all look so different, but yet so much the same. Noah was definately the skinniest of the 3. Macie for sure takes the cake on chubbiness. Check out those thighs she had already! Jacob's cheeks are getting there. But I don't think they can compete with Macie's! Hopefully I'll be able to make a comparison every month. Noah's first few months were before our digital age, so those might be more difficult. It's so crazy to see how much they have grown! Who do you think Jacob looks the most like??

one month.

 

It's been a month. It really seems like A LOT longer! Jacob really is a good baby. Besides eating constantly, and not sleeping well if he's put down, he's a good baby! He's following well in his sister's footsteps in the chub department, I think! He's getting to be quite the chunk! The 0-3 month clothes are quie snug. Last Monday he was 10 pounds 12 ounces...and I'm sure he's gained at least another pound if not more! Like I said, he is constantly eating. He is finally over his RSV. No more breathing treatments or medicines. Hopefully we can keep the little guy healthier. We love having him here, though. Noah and Macie still can't get enough of him. Macie thinks she is his Mom. She attempts to nurse him, pick him up, and feed him things. It's hard for me to put him in his swing or chair in fear for his life! We are slowly getting adjusted to life as a family of 5. The cleaning is getting caught up as well as the laundry. Which, by the way, has pretty much doubled. Crazy that a little baby can add so much more laundry!! But, we are getting there. I'm figuring out how to function with little sleep. I didn't sleep while I was pregnant, but I wasn't taking care of a newborn either, so now it's much more exhausting. But, we're getting through it. Hopefully these every hour feedings at night will get less and less. We'll see. We love him anyway!

CTR 5

Noah is so old. I can't believe it. It doesn't seem like that long ago he was Jacob's size. And now he goes to CTR 5 and wears a CTR ring!


We debated taking Jacob to church, since he has been sick and all. But, we did it. I wanted the boys to coordinate, I know, I know, I'm cheesy. After trying many outfits on Jacob, and having no luck since everything was either WAY too big or too small, I decided on this outfit. It's what my mom calls a "fussy" outfit...since it's not one piece, needs to be ironed, and just something to fuss over. Not a baby outfit. More of a big boy outfit. But, it matched Noah and it matched his cute little shoes!

Noah went to his big boy CTR 5 class. Yeah...CTR 5. My Noah is in CTR 5. Such a big boy these days. Last week they all got crowns and CTR rings. Noah was sick and didn't get them, so he got them yesterday. He absolutely LOVES both items. He has informed me that he is not taking either off...ever. It made me all teary when I asked him what CTR meant and he replied so quickly with, "Choose the right." That's my boy.

Macie loves going to church and seeing her friends in nursery. They all love her. We saw one of her teachers in Target last Monday when we were getting Jacob's medicine, and she told us that all the kids asked where Macie was when she didn't come to class. I guess she's quite the ham in there. She is such a funny girl.

I'm going to win.

I found this awesome giveaway today, as I was blogstalking. Who doesn't like free, right? This double stroller is pretty cool, really. And, don't even bother entering, however...I'm already going to win! ;-)But if you do enter, good luck.

the 3.

 

Aren't they just the cutest kids?? I don't think I'm ever going to get a picture with all of them looking at the camera. None of them have the attention span to sit there long enough for a 2 second picture. They are busy busy busy. Pictures like these make me forget all the tantrums, screaming, and fighting, and make me realize how much I love being a Mom.

Winter??

So...it's 5 PM. It's 78 degrees. It's January. Gotta love California!

Now accepting applications...

The Christensens are now accepting applications for the following positions:

Nanny: The ideal applicant should have excellent children skills. Should have expertise in peanut butter sandwich making and transforming Optimus Prime into a truck and back to an autobot, and vice versa. Ability to read many many stories, most of which are picture books, so the story line would have to be made up, and the patience to watch the Disneyland Sing A Long over and over and over again are a must. Job responsibilties include playing with two adorably cute children while their mother sleeps. The children are ages 4 and 2, and do fight a lot, but if referee skills are present, this will not be a problem. Relatives of the children are REALLY encouraged to apply. Please submit your application as a comment to this blog or via telephone. If you qualify for the job, you probably know how to reach us.

Housekeeper:Basic housekeeping skills area must. The house really isn't THAT bad. The applicant should have excellent laundry, dish doing, vacuuming, and toilet scrubbing skills. The residents of the house include two children ages 4 and 2, who do not like to put their toys away. They have been instructed to leave them in the toy room, but that does not always happen. So another responsibility of the employee would be to organize the toy room, maybe also devise a solution to make it easier for clean up in the future. Relatives of the cute children are encouraged to apply. If you quality and would like to apply, submit your application through commenting on this blog or you know how to reach us.

These are both very satisfying employment opportunities. Compensation will be given in the best hugs and kisses you can get. The rewards are virtually endless with these positions. They are expected to fill very quickly, so your prompt response will be appreciated to be considered for these positions.

The Church of The "What's Happenin' Now?" by Pastor/Dr. Ruth

To prove I'm not all "shock and aw" I'll first say that although I only post once in a while (calling the world to repentance and announcing the birth of another better looking child than yours) I did go over the content of this blog with the Mother who once told me the three things you never talk about in public. She asked for a copy of the flier to give a tongue in cheek idea to their Activities Committee chair in their Ward.

It was dark as I walked back home from the mailbox and I could barely make out the large, card-stock message on the front but did make out "Sex, Love and Intimacy" written against a romantic sunset backdrop with a couple in embrace. Well, they got my attention - is this some ad for Viagra? Flipping to the back I was amazed that this came to our doorstep so as to entice people to come to a local Church where "Sex, Love and Intimacy...3 things you SHOULD talk about at Church" was written across the top line of their propaganda. I call it so because let's call the shovel a shovel and whereas the world is in a spiritual famine and when the "word" or the everlasting waters seems all dried up and there are no more Prophets by our own presumed authority to say so, these tactics of separating themselves from the whole, something "new" and unlike any other Church are what it takes to bring people to Church and ultimately to Christ. I assume they're a Christian Church, the only mention of spiritual matters is two sentences of an already cluttered, small font on a large 8 x 5 card:

-From the Pastor steering this inspired ship, amidst reciting the same saving doctrines that, he exclaims with authority and conviction, SHOULD be talked about at Church "No matter where you are at in the Journey [capitalized to capitalize on the name of his Church - the Journey Church] with God, he is up to something good in your life."

and the second brief utterance of anything spiritual (cause no-one seems to be interested in that anymore anyways)

-Written in a list box as the last saving hope to draw people to come and share in the new and fun experience, and written I'm guessing as a matter of second importance below the first bullet point "Great Live Music", what follows say's "Relevant Messages from the Bible" and after that follows 5 more bullets (my personal favorite- "No Pressure, No Hassles, No Asking For Money"). Still not sure if this is a Christian Church, but so marches the great arm of political correctness, don't want to offend a Jew by shutting them out, maybe this will trick one of them into coming and see how refined we are...

Well whatever final resting stop the Journey takes them on I'm sure he's enjoying the ride. To help their cause, I will list a few upcoming meetings:

"Jan 25 Restoring Real Love and Intimacy" [first time I've ever seen the word 'restore' used religiously in this fashion]

"Feb 1 Faithful Attraction: Bringing Real Life to Your Sex Life"

Lastly I'll just share one more in hopes to stir up the hearts of many to follow the example of Christ into the waters of Baptism "Feb 8 Great Sex: Real Advice On Having the Best Sex"


My own Commentary: I've often wondered after November 5th how other Churches are still able to teach how awful the Mormons are and what a Cult they are for doing so much for protecting Marriage! "Those over-achievers - don't they know they don't need to work for their Salvation? Sit back and relax, and by the way, the real Christ loves us so much that we don't need to persuade anyone to live a life of righteousness, but they wouldn't know that, they're not elitist like I am, I've got it made - what an awesome god! he chose me above billions - how merciful and perfect is his unconditional Love!!!"

Now this - a revelation as of one speaking from the dust of the ground - it's revolutionary and yet, a real restoring:

"...And others will he pacify, and lull them away to carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well-and thus the Devil cheateth their souls, and lead them away carefully down to hell." (2 Nephi 28:21)

And from Bruce R. McConkie "Accordingly, anytime men can devise a system of worship that will let them continue to live after the manner of the world, to live in their carnal and fallen state, and at the same time one which will satisfy their innate and instinctive desires to worship, such, to them, is a marvelous achievement." (BYU Speeches 1/10/84)

I won't go into other scriptures of debate - only commend anyone of that spirit and attitude to read for themselves the whole of Romans, the whole of 1 John, then read the book of James which Martin Luther (Father to 'Justification by Faith [his addition:] alone') called it "A Book of Straw" because this brother of the Savior left words that contradict the scattered and isolated scriptures that made up the new justification without any works on our part, nor personal discipleship.

Can anyone tell me what "Non-Denominational" means anyways? How about the seemingly oxy-moronic notion of "Christian Rock" - the Apostle Paul and Elvis are both rolling in their graves... No, I'm not perfect, and guess what, I also slurp my soup - please judge me on this as well because when Salvation is free to the extent that we don't need to refine personal morals and ethics, it is then that we have a right to condemn and judge. Aw [personal] justification! I'm going to Church first and foremost to distance myself from the stigmata of being a hypocrite. Though it haunts me, I have hope that better things then Sex are being taught in Church, how about "Sanctification"? One more plug: "Feb 15 Being Intimate: Practical Steps to Deeper Understanding" and in our Church: "Feb 15 The Infinite, Eternal and Intimate Atonement: Sacred Steps to Deeper Understanding of the Mysteries of God"

I sincerely pray that Sex is not being talked about so candidly and in replacement to the written word, no Church aught to use as tactic worldly allurements before the Savior. The worlds conception of sex is skewed, I wouldn't introduce a new "Quit Smoking" class by dangling tobacco from the door jamb. The word is strong enough that if the honest and true are to follow the Shepard, they will know His voice and we don't need to re-design the facade in anyway. The sad truth is that few there be that find Him and are able to learn spiritual truth through spiritual means - the Lords ordained method for learning (see 1 Corinthians 2:10-13).

These are my own personal views, get over them if you can.

Poor Jacob.

We took Jacob to the doctor this morning, poor kid. Last night he was miserable His breathing got worse, and he was so wheezy. And, I KNEW he was sick when he didn't wake up to eat. He last ate at 11, and didn't wake up until 4 to eat, and then only ate for like 10 minutes. I shouldn't be complaining, but I still didn't sleep, anyway! I slept with him on the couch. Our couch is comfortable, but not to sleep on, knowing that your little tiny baby is sick and can barely breath. I was up just listening to him breath. It was so sad. Our appointment was at 8:50, we were in there pretty quick, which was SO different than the last appointment we had! The nurse weighed him...10 pounds 12 ounces! He has gained nearly two pounds in a week! That's my boy! But, his oxygen levels were good, so that was a relief. And then doctor came in. You know it's bad when he sighs when he listens to his lungs. He said he had bronchilitis. Which, is exactly what Noah had before he got RSV when he was a baby. My sister said it perfectly, she said we need to have summer babies so we don't have to worry about the RSV and flu like these winter babies do. But, the doctor ordered a chest x-ray and an RSV test to make sure he didn't have it. They did a breathing treatment, and prescribed more albuterol, since we already had the nebulizer {thank goodness for Medicaid when we had Noah...it was free!!} So now we have to wait for the x-ray results to make sure it's not pneumonia, give him breathing treatments every 4 hours, give him prednisolone for his breathing, and an antibiotic. The bag from the pharmacy weighed about as much as he did! Poor little guy. He's only 3 weeks old. He's been so good though. He didn't cry for the x-ray, and only gave a little peep when they stuck the swab up his nose for the RSV test. He just doesn't want to eat, and that is so not like him! Hopefully he'll get better very soon, and his appetite will increase. I'm not liking this sudden drop in feedings, really. It was funny though, at the doctor. I guess RSV isn't common around here. In Idaho, you hear about it all of the time. A lot of winter babies get it. But, here it is very uncommon. But since it has been so uncharacteristically cold, it is a more common sickness this year. Dang RSV.

Sick kids=no fun.

Noah came down with some terrible cough last week. On Sunday it was in the very beginning stage. He got a fever the next day, and the next. The fever went away, but the cough and the crappy feeling stayed. Macie came down with it on Wednesday. Of course, they are still so excited about having the baby in their house, that they think they need to be touching him or right next to him at all times. No matter how many times we told them NOT TO TOUCH THE BABY, the still managed to. No matter how many times we told them to cover their mouths, they didn't. No matter how many times we put hand sanitizer on their hands, and washed their hands until they were cracked, Jacob still got sick. It's been so sad to watch the other kids go through it, but now with Jacob it's worse. He's so little. He has a cracky little cry, and wheezy, and coughs a lot. No fever as so yet, so that;s good! And then to top it all off, I suspect that we have thrush. Goodness. Poor little guy. He was breathing kind of funny last night, I wanted Adam to give him a blessing. So, he called up our friend/home teacher and he came right over...and it was even 11:30 at night. Good guy. And then I slept with him on the couch so he could be propped up. It proved to be a long night, but, his breathing is a little better this morning. Still wheezy, but not labored. You'd think with all of his nursing time, he'd have enough antibodies in his little system to fight off sickness...I guess not, however. I don't know how that all works. But...hopefully we'll get over this soon. Sick kids are not fun. Especially three sick kids, a working daddy, and an overly tired mommy.

This one's for you, Aunt E.

 

How cute is this kid?? Aunt Erin gave him this way cute outfit and zebra striped blanket. It's so cute. He got lots and lots of compliments while at Target the other day. Yes, I know, I shouldn't be taking him out, but when you need toilet paper and diapers, you need toilet paper and diapers, you really can't wait. I haven't taken as many pictures of him as I should. He's usually eating, so that gets a little difficult to get pictures! So, thanks Erin!

Milk Monster.

I have a milk monster baby. He seriously is ALWAYS eating. Most lactation specialists and such suggest that you time feedings from the START of the feeding rather than when we end. For example, if your baby starts feeding at 5:30, and nurses for 15 minutes, and he eats every two hours, that two hours is from 5:30, not 5:45. Okay, well Jacob eats every hour...on the hour. And, he nurses for a good twenty minutes, sometimes longer. And then, it usually takes about five minutes to get a a good burp. So, usually about thirty minutes for the whole eating, burping, and diaper changing process. And then thirty minutes later, it starts again. And this happens all throughout the night as well. I try to just let him cry it out, but he just gets to beside himself and sweats. I didn't know babies even could sweat at this stage, but he does. A lot. Going anywhere and getting anything done is a joke. He's so little, I can't deny him food. And when i hear the cry, I'm just wasting milk anyway! Any suggestions??

Little orphan Annie??

I had this wonderful idea to put curlers in Macie's hair for Sunday. I ran into Walmart to get some foam curlers. I kind of assumed that they wouldn't be a lot of money, pretty cheap, really. But no. They were like 10 bucks for like 8 curlers or something. Yeah...foam curlers. So, I went to Target, not much better there. And then I rememebered seeing somewhere about rag curls. So, I went home, got some fabric strips that I just already happened to have and they were even in the exact length that I needed. I gave Macie is a bath, and started the rolling "ragging" process. It was fun. She sat in front of the TV, and was so good. I don't think I did some as tight as I should have. She slept on them, and I think she pulled on some to make them looser. She likes to pull her hair when she's going to sleep. It's usually mine, but I always move her hand to hers, I've been doing this for 2 years now. But, she woke up, and I pulled out the knots and rags, and just laughed. It was hilarious. She was quite the poodle! If I had made them tighter, she could have easily pulled off the Annie look. It was pretty curly. For some reason I didn't think the curls would be that tight. And it happened to be on the morning that we just started 9 o'clock church! Luckily, I woke up at 6, and was ready, so I was able to fix her hair the best I could without totally rebathing her. It didn't look too bad. It was cute. I may try it again and roll the rags ALL the way up to the top of her head and tie them tight, maybe that would work. But, even with the poodle hair, she's still the cutest girl ever!

 

He wants it.

{I wanted to write about this a long time ago. With everything else on my mind, I forgot about it. But, I wanted to remember it. So here it goes.}

I took Macie to the store to get some one on one Mommy time. Something that she definately needs every once in a while. While we are all transitioning, she's taking it the worst, I think. She's always had me with her. She nursed until she was 22 months old. She is such a Mommy's girl. So now with the new baby, she's had a rough time, poor girl. So, I like to take each child with me just to run errands, just them. And they love it. They fight over who gets to come with me. It makes me feel good! I think they just really want to get out of the house, but still I like it! But anyway, I digress. So, I took Macie with me. We were just going to Albertsons to get a few groceries. Oh my goodness, she thought it was the best thing ever. She talked the entire way there. She kept giggling. She loved that she was the only one in the car. There wasn't Noah or Jacob to compete with. Just her and Mommy. We got to the store. Usually there is a huge fight about sitting in those monster car carts. But, she didn't complain. She carried the basket for me, and was content, still jabbering away. I told her if she was a really good girl we would go down the Christmas/ toy aisle. She was a very good girl. So we went down the aisle. But instead of looking at the Barbies and Princess stuff like she normally would, she picked up a boyish toy, and said, "He wants it." I asked her who wanted it, thinking that the imaginary friend stage was kicking in early for her, but she said that Noah wanted it. She REALLY wanted to get Noah a toy. She didn't care about the girl toys, or the toys that she wanted, she just wanted to get Noah something. I asked her why she wanted to get Noah something, and she said, "He stay with Daddy." Holy crap...I'm still highly emotional from all of the pregnancy hormones, but I think even without I probably would have teared up. Instead of thinking of herself, she wanted to get something for Noah because he didn't get to go, and she knew that he wanted to. What a sweet little sister, she is.

I am very grateful for their friendship that they share. Yes, they fight...ALL of the time, it seems. But, they still have fun together, and are each others best friends. I love it. I've been told that as they get older it will get better, and they won't fight as much, and they really will act like best friends. That day will come, I'm sure. I can already see the signs of it. They love to be with each other. Just not sharing their toys. They are little, it's understandable. I'm also grateful to be their mother. Sometimes I don't feel like the best mother. Times when they are fighting and just not listening, I find myself wondering where I went wrong. But, then, who is a perfect mother? There are the bad times and the good times, we all have both. Life isn't perfect. But, for mow...with my three kids, life is perfect. It just gets better.

the beach.

 

Yes, I know, Jacob is 2 weeks old. Why on earth would I take him to the beach?? Well, we needed family pictures. And how cool is it that we can go to the beach on New Year's Day, while it's freezing and snowing in Idaho and Seattle?? Don't worry, Jacob was well bundled, head covered and all. It was pretty cold. But the kids absolutely LOVED it. They love the beach. Macie just likes the sand and the swings...not so much the water. Noah just wants to run in the water, even if it is freezing cold! Jacob did alright. He nursed, and then was bundled so much, he didn't get his head uncovered too much. So much for his first beach visit, huh? I'm sure there will be more, but the first is the most momentous!

Jacob's Blessing

 

Adam got the opportunity to bless Jacob this morning in our ward. It was weird not having any family there. Noah had both sets of grandparents at his, and then Macie had my family, but Jacob only had his Daddy. A sister in our ward commented that we at least had the ward family with us. Which is true. I am very grateful for our ward family, since we are so far away from our families. But anyway, Jacob had a cute outfit my mom brought for him. When Noah was born, my friend's mother made an afghan for him. We used it for his blessing and for Macie's, and now we got to use it for Jacob. It's sentimental. Adam almost didn't take it up there, he's not much for sentiment. I assume that the blessing was a good one, however, I didn't hear a single word. Our ward is trying to go all high tech, and use wireless microphones. Yeah, it didn't work so much. They used the kind that you hook to your lapel, but it wasn't high enough for anyone to hear much. And then Macie decided to throw a huge screaming tantrum because she thought Daddy was taking Jacob away when he took him up to the front. So I had to take her out in the hall, screaming. I probably looked like the worst mother. I was pretty upset for having to leave during my son's blessing. I was pretty emotional to start with, and then I wasn't hearing anything. Instead I was covering my two year old's mouth trying to get her to be quiet, while bawling in the hallway. I probably looked ridiculous. It was quite a long blessing, and I'm sure very nice...I just wish I could have heard it..at least some of it. A few people offered to take Macie out for me, but I knew that would cause a much greater scene than had already been started. And then to make matters worse, bless their hearts, but people kept coming up to tell me how bad they felt for me, not being able to hear the blessing, which stirred up the emotions even more, and I was just a wreck all throughout church. Goodness. Two year olds. But, she is so cute, its hard to stay mad too long. She makes up for it with her big hugs and smirks. Jacob was a good baby, though. He didn't cry at all...didn't even fuss. He is only 2 weeks old, and still just sleeps a lot, but hey, he was still good. Today was his special day. Adam was able to recall the blessing, for the most part, I hope. But it still won't be the same reading it as hearing it firsthand, but that's okay. I signed up to be a mother, and I have to take what I get.

Nursing

I thought I'd be straight forward with the topic of my post. Many may choose not to read it. Adam hates when I talk about it. But I need advice. I have successfully nursed two babies. Macie I nursed for 22 months. But, this time around it isn't easy. Jacob is a good little eater. He nurses just fine. No problems latching or anything, it's me. It hurts SO bad. I cringe every time he starts nursing. And on one side, I'm near tears the entire nursing duration, which is 20 minutes for my little milk monster! What should I do? I was a little sore and sensitive with the other two, but not for this long. I don't want to stop nursing. I love nursing. But, I don't want to be in pain. Any suggestions??