Photo Potpouri

 We got a kid size rake this year so the kids could help out.

 I love this picture of Little Miss 2 - she looks so angelic and much more like herself than most photos. She NEVER smiles in photos. The trick here was she didn't see me with the camera.

 Making pizza with mommy.

 We put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving - our Black Friday tradition of staying indoors and away from the stores.

 Bear was making it a regular part of his morning routine for a few weeks - pretending to shave like Daddy.

 Can you see the tower he built? Yeah, it really was that tall -and he talked about how it needed "supports" so it wouldn't fall over. This week he was explaining to Daddy how he got water to squirt out of the lime juicer, and he used words like "vacuum" and how the air "replaced" the water that was taken out. Cool, huh?

 Oh yeah, we have been a sitter for a little over a month now. One morning, I tried to lie him down and he tried to do a sit up instead. Ok, let's see if you can handle sitting up. Yup, he handled it like a pro. This week he is pushing himself up more on his tummy and scooting backwards. He also likes to stand up and march in place so long as Mommy or Daddy is holding his arms. He should be crawling soon!

Sick again!

This Fall/Winter someone seems to always be sick. Bear came down with a fever last night (and threw up in the middle of the night), and I am still waiting for it to break. Little Miss threw up during Sacrament meeting on Sunday - she started coughing and it turned into heaves. Her stomach was fine though. She was eating 15 minutes later when we got home without any problem. Poor girl has been sick since the 2nd week of September. She was on antibiotics last month, and was feeling better for a couple of days when bam! we all came down with something new, including her. She just can't catch a break. And now Bear is down with something new. Grrr. We REALLY need to be healthy this Christmas. I want to be able to spend time with my sister when she visits. I figure we still have a little over a week before she arrives and the flu shouldn't linger as long as a head cold, right? So, here's for hoping!

Baby Cereal

Tiger does not like the baby cereal. He makes this face and shudders if any actually makes it to the back of his throat. Now he has perfected the art of keeping his lips clamped shut. Whatever am I to do?

3rd tooth!

Werty noticed Tiger has a 3rd tooth on the bottom. It kind of snuck up on us. Last night he was having trouble getting to sleep, and he was chewing on everything he could get his hands on, so I guess that's why.

He also had his first rice cereal today. He was not thrilled...shuddered and made a face every time he swallowed like he does when I am giving him medicine.

Werty gave him his first hair cut today...when I wasn't looking. It's a minor hair cut, just cut the long tufts from around his ears that were the last vestiges of the darker hair he was born with. The end result is him looking more blond.

Halloween Pics

I don't like to post pics of my kids on fb much. So, if you read my blog, you get to see a lot more pics - better pics. So, here are the ones I saved for my blog from Halloween.

Here is Bear with his Preschool class. Have I mentioned that Halloween is his favorite holiday? At least that's what he says and how he acts.

 This year Bear wanted to try cleaning out the guts of the pumpkin himself. We let him go out at for about half an hour to an hour until his arm got tired and he finally allowed me to assist with the last stubborn bits. We didn't toast pumpkin seeds this year, which makes me sad, but I am the only one who missed them.

 

Little Miss was Princess Twilight Sparkle, and I love this pic because she is holding her skirt out to show her costume - totally on her own. I have come to the realization that my little 2 year old does not smile on camera. Someday she is going to ask us why there are so many non-smiling candid shots of her, and why she is eating in so many of them. Hmmm, because you stopped smiling when you saw a camera, and often would stick something in front of your face, like food, to hide behind. So, I love this pic because she is happy about her costume and having her picture taken, even if she isn't actually smiling.

Bear wanted to be Blinky the red ghost last year, but I was pregnant and not sure I had the time and energy to make a costume - plus I didn't think his friends would "get" it since Pac-Man is a really old game. So, last year he was a fireman instead. This year he again asked to be a red ghost, and once again picked out a Blinky costume from Pinterest. And it wasn't too hard to make. I talked him into having the blue "blinking" ghost on the back - and in the end he thought that was really cool because it meant his costume changed depending on how you looked at it, like he was wearing two costumes at once. Btw, two years ago he wanted to be a snowman for Halloween, and I had to make a snowman costume because no one was selling snowmen costumes. He got mixed reactions and confusion - why are you dressed like a snowman when it isn't Christmas? This year, there were plenty of Olaf snowmen, and seriously, his snowman costume would make a great Olaf. I guess he's just ahead of his time...or just creative, or both.

 Costumes from the back.

 We only got two shots with our baby dragon Tiger. He had a sniffly nose, so he stayed with me while Werty took the kids trick-or-treating, first at Werty's work, then later around the neighborhood.

Second Tooth!

The tops of Tiger's first two teeth are all the way through today and are now clearly visible. Which means he has been having trouble falling and staying asleep today. Thank goodness for baby 0r@jel. Also, when I put him down on the floor for some tummy time this morning, he waited about 2 seconds and then turned over on to his back in one swift motion. Ok, check that one off the list. He seemed pretty happy about his accomplishment too.

To prepare Bear for the talk he is assigned in Primary in two weeks (Why marriage is an important part of Heavenly Father's plan for his children), we spent FHE discussing what the word marriage means and how we get married in the temple so we can be an eternal family. It's sometimes entertaining to ask questions of a 5 year old like, 'Do you want to be a daddy someday?' followed by, 'Why?' and 'Do you want to be a Daddy like your Daddy?' He decided he wants to be a fun daddy like his daddy someday. So, I think I will put that in his talk.

First Tooth!

Last night Werty was holding Tiger because he was super fussy and he noticed that his gums were bleeding a little. Looks like his first tooth finally broke through. Poor guy. All day yesterday he just wanted to be held, but I was canning apple pie filling. It was a new recipe so it took more time than I expected. Makes me feel like a bad mommy because I had to keep putting him down. At least now I know why he was so unusually clingy.

I ended up with a batch and a half of apple pie filling - 10 quarts. I forgot that I could only fit 8 quarts in the canner. I really should have only done 8 and saved some time and frustration. The recipe said it made 7-10 quarts. Yeah, no. Halfway through I had to make another half batch of syrup, slice twice the number of apples, etc. In the end, I stuffed the jars too full and when I took them out of the water bath at 1am and 2am respectively, some of them started spitting out sauce like a volcano. It was loud - belching jars - and funny once I got over the shock and concern. Today they are all sealed. I am thinking we will eat the ones that lost the most syrup first, just in case. Perhaps my zealous over-stuffing is why it took twice as many apples than the recipe stated. I am looking forward to apple crisp and pie this Winter thanks to my in-laws apple tree.

Meanwhile, Tiger loves the exersaucer. It only took him a couple days to figure out how to stand up with his feet and turn the seat to move to a new toy.

 Some random pics from this week:

 I started working on Halloween costumes this week, starting with Twilight Sparkle for Little Miss 2. This is what I have done so far. I got to use two new stitches on the applique, including a decorative one, woohoo!

Last weekend we went to the Museum of Curiosity. Here we are in the Waterworks room.

  

And the Rainforest area for littler kids. I love this photo (above) because Bear and Little Miss 2 are working together. He hands her the ball, and then she rolls it down the track.


Bear and his cousin working the digging machines.

Losing Together

My sweet Tiger is so supportive! I have hit the post-pregnancy stage where my hair starts falling out, so Tiger is losing his hair too. Tiger's hair is coming in lighter and shorter on the sides, giving him the look of a faux-hawk. After his last bath, I combed the longer hair in the middle into a mohawk, but it didn't really survive being slept on. He has kept his dark hair much longer than my other two kids. It doesn't look like it will be as light as his brother's, but whether or not it will be darker than his sister's hair remains to be seen.

Almost Milestones...

Two days ago, I was giving Tiger some tummy time on a pillow on the floor. He was pushing himself up on his arms pretty well, but started getting tired after about 5 minutes. So, he leaned to one side and rolled onto his back. The pillow helped, putting gravity on his side. Last night he was on his back, playing with Daddy on the bed. Once again, gravity made all the distance as Daddy was pushing down on the bed (memory foam topper, nice and squishy), and he rolled onto his tummy. Totally can't do it on his own yet, so it doesn't really count, but he's figuring out the basics. I think he is going to be moving a little earlier than his siblings. After all, this was the kid that amazed the delivery nurse by doing a push up when he was less than an hour old because he did not like being put on his tummy during his evaluation. He was also kicking his legs army crawl style during tummy time. Too bad tummy time makes him spit up like crazy - he's got some acid-reflux, even though we aren't medicating him since he is able to sleep with it. He just spits up a ton after every feeding, every burp, every time you move him...you get the idea.

Meanwhile, yes, Tiger is also teething. In between the spit-ups, I have seen drool. It's usually camouflaged by spit up, but I have now observed what Werty saw last Sunday. Drool. Plus, being a nursing mommy, let me just say, I can tell he is teething. He is still our little cheerful boy, smiling at everyone.

Here's some pics from out trip to the Aquarium earlier this month, starting with the penguins.

Warning! Potty Training in Progress!

A few days ago, Little Miss successfully stayed on the potty long enough to pee. She went in the potty TWICE today! I did a happy dance for her, which seemed to get her attention and cause a smile. I am hoping to get the brunt of the potty training done before Bear's preschool starts up again. I figure it will be much easier to deal with now than when I'm rushing the kids out the door in the morning. /crosses fingers.

Tiger's 2 Months Update

Took little Tiger in to the doctor's today. My other kids were pretty well behaved, and we were back home within an hour. Tiger is doing well, cheerful the whole time except when getting his first round of shots. Poor boy. He is such a champ. Here are his stats:

W: 12 lbs 2.5 oz  95%
L: 24 inches  100%
Head: 15.5 inches  97%

At his 2 week check-up he was also in the 95-100% range in everything, so he's staying steady, no worries or surprises.

Last Tuesday we attended our annual ward summer swimming party at Scera pool.Bear was very comfortable in the water, wandering all over the large shallow pool (they have a deep-end pool on the other side), the water up to his shoulders and chin. Looks like he is ready to start learning how to swim. Before we had kids, we decided Werty would be in charge of that, since he is the better swimmer. (I am supposed to teach our kids basketball, since I have more experience there. That was the trade off.) Little Miss wore water wings and played with her daddy. I had about 10 mins with Little Miss in the water, then took care of the baby and visited the rest of the time.

On the way home from the party, Tiger was not happy in the stroller, probably because it was after 9pm and getting dark. Almost as soon as I take him out and Werty goes on ahead with the empty stroller, Little Miss decides she is done pushing her umbrella stroller and wants to be pushed. So, I am holding the baby on my chest with one hand, pushing a 2 year old with the other hand. When something that felt like a leaf blew into the side of my head, I did not have a spare hand to investigate. I waved at it once, and thought the leaf had fallen out of my hair onto the ground. Well, I get home, put the baby down, walk into the bathroom to wash my hands. I look into the mirror and scream. There on the front side of my shoulder, inches from where I had been holding my baby is a 2 inch long scarab-looking black beetle. (Google cottonwood stag beetle to see a picture of it.) The first thought that comes to my mind is the episode of Doct0r Wh0 when Donna Noble has the scarab attached to her back that she can't quite see, feeding off of and erasing her future potential. Bear's reaction to seeing the beetle was, "Yay, we can keep it as a pet!" We got a jar, put some leaves and a little water in it, and kept him for a week. Today, we let our pet go back to the park. I explained to Bear that it needed to go back to the park or it would die of starvation because it was starting to look sluggishly frantic. He found a nice spot under a tree, and let it go. It was interesting to watch all week, but I am glad it is gone.

Renaming the Blog

When I started writing a blog, I put it off at first with the rationale that we didn't have kids yet, and the blog would be mostly for sharing updates about kids with family and friends. Well, so I started the blog right after we found out we were finally expecting our first (best Christmas surprise ever!). The blog was Audra and Werty for, like, a week. But only my FFXI friends knew me as Audra, so I changed it to Zanne and Werty. Zanne was already my nickname in the blogosphere thanks to my best friend. When I was teaching, I jotted down the funny things that my high school students said or did. But it has been a long time since our family focus was on my husband and I. Now that I am a stay at home mom, it's my kids that do funny things that I should mention. Often times I forget to write them down. I hope that changing the title will remind me that the blog really is about updating family and friends about my cute kids and the hilarious and creative things they do. I need some stories to embarrass them with later, right?

One quick update: Tiger (named Tiger because we already had Bear, and Little Miss' favorite animal to pretend to be at present really is a Lion...so I couldn't resist.) is quite the cheerful 8 week old. I shouldn't be surprised, it was even mentioned in his blessing. He already smiles back at us and occasionally he has laughed as well. He has been doing it for a week and a half. My grandmother's response was that he was probably too young to really be interacting - and then 3 minutes later she experienced it for herself and she changed her mind. She agreed that he really was smiling back at her.

Day 4 of low sugar

I thought better of trying to avoid sugar altogether. So, today is day #4 of no sugary snacks, high sugar foods, or desserts which I am referring to as a "low sugar" diet. That means I can still eat my breakfast cereal, so there. Oh, and the ward summer party didn't count...because Werty forgot about the low sugar deal, and in his kindness went through the dessert line for me and got me a brownie and cookie. I think my mood has been calmer this week, which means that my energy level has been more consistent, even if I am tired. I'm calling that a win.

Maybe tomorrow...or next week

I was thinking of giving up refined sugar for a week, and see how I feel. When I am tired, I eat more sugary foods to help me stay awake. Middle of the night feedings, combined with late nights with Little Miss 2 as she transitions to her new twin size bed (and a new bedtime routine), have left me rather tired. I thought a week-long fast might get things under control.

I have started up running again. Last week was my 3rd time running since I had baby #3, Tiger. I ran 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile and 1/2  mile, with 1/4 mile walking breaks. I was trying to complete the C25k program for week #4 (running 1/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/2 miles) but I ran out of time and the rec center was turning the lights out on me as I left the track. So, I am trying to boost my energy level with exercise already.

Yesterday, I floated this idea by Werty to give up sugar for a week, starting on Sunday. He seemed relieved it would only be for a week, and agreed to be supportive. Then later that day at the store, he bought a package of oreos because they were having an awesome sale. He said that the little voice in his head reminded him that he had agreed to support me in giving up sugar. He told the little voice that they were ON SALE. Well, I got hungry at church today, and the only thing I had in the diaper bag was a granola bar. Sugar is the 3rd ingredient listed, but I ate it rather than getting shaky while I nursed the baby. Then after lunch today, those oreos were calling me. They told me to start my sugar fast tomorrow. I said okay and ate two. Then Werty reminded me of all the events coming up this week, that we have something going on every evening. Photo appointment, ward swimming party, Friberg painting viewing in SLC, and Les Mis at the Scera Shell. And we discussed how we might be picking something up and eating on the fly a couple of nights to make it to these events. I sighed and told myself, maybe tomorrow, or maybe next week, I will start.

Meanwhile, here's some pics to enjoy from our summer thus far:

The kids enjoyed some water fun at the neighbor friend's birthday party.

 Blowing bubbles together.

 Family reunion, my Dad's side, in SLC.



Later that day we attended Orem's Summerfest with Ddonn and her kids. This year Little Miss was old enough to go on a couple of rides with her big brother.



Tiger was blessed on Father's Day by Werty.

We have been using our firepit to make s'mores for FHE, proving to Bear that FHE is not always boring. Litte Miss decided that s'mores are "yummy."

 

 And here is what Tiger looks like this week.

Baby Brother

He was born 8 lbs 11 oz, rounded up from 10.6 oz. He is 20.5 inches long. After getting my water broken, I was able to go into labor without any pitocin. And everything was going fine for the first few hours, and then things quickly changed. This was my scariest birthing experience, and I am really grateful for my Doctor and her knowledge of my previous births. She made the call, and gave me the chance to avoid a C-section. Her updates and comments during the process were the most honest and helpful. My son's cord was wrapped around his neck twice, but I was able to delivery him quickly and safely. They had to do a work-up on him at the hospital and monitor him, but he passed with flying colors. He has been such a trooper!