A Happy Home is Filled with Love and Laughter

Life with two kids under the age of 2

Beej & Chris

I don't even know where to begin. I get this question a lot "How is it having two kids?" My response has been, "I have my good days and my bad days". Whenever you have a baby, life changes and you have to form a new normal. We are still trying to figure out our "new normal" but slowly things are becoming easier yet more difficult. Make sense? As any parent knows, one minute things are amazingly wonderful and the next- you wonder how you are going to make it through the day alive.

Last night after I dropped BJ off to the airport (he is in New York for a work conference), I headed to my parents house with the kids. We had a fun time, and I took advantage of having another adult present to watch Connor and got Kaylee in the bath while I was there. I got both Kaylee and Connor in their pajamas before we left making things really easy for when I got home. Kaylee and I sang nursery ryhmes all the way home. I carried sleeping Connor upstairs into my bedroom and then got Kaylee out of the car to get her in bed as well. We still follow the same routine. We read 3 books while she drinks her warm milk, brush teeth, say prayers and then I turn on her primary music and tell her "night night". She gave me a hug and kiss and said my new favorite phrase "I wuv you". Kaylee went right to sleep and Connor stayed asleep until midnight. Life was good. These are the moments I think- ok I got this.

And then this morning happened. Connor was up with gas pains a lot during the night and it continued into this morning. Kaylee woke up with her pajamas off (this is her new discovery- taking her clothes off) and crying because she can't get her diaper off. I bring her down and feed her breakfast while trying to calm Connor. I finally get Connor asleep and get Kaylee out of her highchair. Before I have time to even clean off the highchair tray- Kaylee is poking Connor, which of course wakes him up and he starts screaming. I mean who likes to wake up from someone poking you? Kaylee decided yelling looked like fun and started to do it herself and then the phone rings, a neighbor asks if she can stop by within the next hour. Ha- I am not even dressed and the house is a mess!

And then comes nap time- my saving grace. Connor is now asleep in his swing and Kaylee is upstairs asleep in her crib. As I am looking at Connor sound asleep I think to myself....even though it is hard to get everything done that I want to, I am exhausted from being up every 2 hours and don't usually eat lunch until 2pm and am hardly ever have time to shower let alone brush my teeth or get dressed...I love being a mom.

Kaylee is talking more and more everyday. Every morning she sits on my lap and we make a plan for the day together. It usually goes like this
Me: What should we do today?
Kaylee: (puts her finger on her lips) and says, "ummmm"
Me: Should we eat breakfast?
Kaylee: Yep
Me: And then we can play with our toys.
Kaylee: Yep
Me: and then we can eat lunch and then you will go down for naps.
Kaylee: Yep
Me: And then we will play some more. Does that sound good to you?
Kaylee: Yep.

Kaylee makes me smile several times a day and is my best friend.

Connor

Likes to eat every 2 hours and has his moments of being colicky that have been really difficult, but he is also the best nurser and gives the biggest grins I have ever seen on a newborn. He has been smiling since he was just a few weeks old and continues to smile several times a day.

He enjoys being outside and is definitely a binky boy. He is very strong and looks and acts like his is several months old rather than 5 weeks old. Connor boy loves to cuddle and would be in heaven if I carried him around with me all day long. His favorite place to sleep is on his stomach on mom or dads chest.

Connor's baby blessing

Beej & Chris

Connor was blessed by his amazing father yesterday in Sacrament meeting. The following are pictures I took before church.

Connor was such a good baby. He slept during the blessing BJ gave and held off eating until we got home and settled for a bit. He was awake a lot and didn't even spit up or poop on his blessing outift! ha ha

ha ha I love all of the facial expressions!

Now the rest of the pictures were taken by Grandma Scott. I stole them off of facebook :)

"Cheeeese"

Brother and Sister

Grandma Scott

Grandpa Scott

Grandpa Scott teaching all the kids how to play horseshoes

I was really really thirsty and decided to finish the orange juice since most everyone had left. Thanks Grandma Sherry and Papa Bruce for bringing it as well as those delicious cinnamon rolls.

Connor smiling and talking to Grandma Scott

Getting ready...

Aim...

Fire! Poor Uncle Nate got punched by sweet little Connor :)

Thanks everyone for coming!

Aunt Angela was so good with Connor. He was so content inside sleeping on her shoulder. She is amazing because she only had two days until she was being induced to have her baby boy- and still drove down to our blessing. What a great sister.

Grandma Sherry and cousin Amara. Grandma Sherry was so kind to feed Connor with a bottle I had prepared so I could help get things ready for everyone as well as visit with family. We have only given him a bottle a few times and it is always from milk I have pumped- we just want the transition to be a little bit easier than it was for Kaylee to take the bottle.

Papa Bruce playing with the kids. Kaylee loves to play with Papa Bruce and Grandma Sherry. She took Papa Bruce all around our backyard to show him all the good playing spots.

JQ and her son Aiden

Grandpa Scott made some yummy pancakes for everyone. Thanks again for doing that dad!

Look at all that great food. Thanks everyone for helping out and helping to provide some yummy food.

The day turned out really good. BJ gave Connor a very thought out and uplifting blessing. I was filled with gratitude for a husband that holds the priesthood and for some amazing family that supports us in everything. Thanks again to all that came.

Connor is 1 month old

Beej & Chris

How can you not LOVE this little face! Connor seriously gives the biggest grins that make my day. Connor got a little cold from Kaylee and had a pretty bad cough for awhile so I ended up taking him in to make sure it hadn't turned into anything more serious. Well- guess how much our little or not so little munchkin weighed?! 12 lbs! That is right. 95% for his age. I guess my milk has a lot of cream in it :) Well at least we know he is a healthy big boy.

Connor does pretty good with his bath as long as the water is really really warm.

Connor is sleeping about normal for a newborn. He wakes up every 2- 2 1/2 hours with a few 3 hour stretches. It is tiring but at the same time- my body is getting pretty used to it. Kaylee is still loving on him and helps me find his binky and diaper whenever I ask- what a great little helper.

Handcart Days

Beej & Chris

Friday July 22nd was the Bountiful Pioneer Day Parade. I was so excited to take Kaylee to a parade especially since we couldn't go on the 4th of July.
BJ got off from work early and stayed at the house while Kaylee was sleeping. I ran and got some dinner and then found the perfect spot for the parade in the shade with Connor boy.

Connor slept in his car seat while I listened to book #5 of Harry Potter on the I-Pod.

I bought some KFC for dinner. We enjoyed it all the way up until Kaylee sat on the mashed potatoes and gravy. ;)

BJ and I took turns going to the street to watch the parade with Kaylee. She loved hearing the bands play as well as the horses.
This was the only picture I got from the parade. ha ha

After the parade, we headed over to the park to see what they had going on there. Kaylee got to go "fishing" and got some sweet musical shakers.

Daddy and Kaylee walking around the park

Kaylee eating a hot dog

We went and listened to some of the music while Kaylee ate her hot dog. BJ was so cute and pulled me up and started swing dancing with me. Kaylee got jealous of BJ and I holding hands so BJ grabbed her hand and had her join us dancing. It was a lot of fun.

I really wanted to take Kaylee to go see the fireworks that night but decided it was probably best to get her home to bed. Well by the time we had got her all ready we heard the neighbors shooting off fireworks so we looked out the window and found that the bountiful fireworks were just starting. Kaylee had a PERFECT view of the fireworks from her window. So Kaylee and I watched them from her window. She loved them. Kaylee kept saying "ooo" "woah" and pointing at the fireworks. It was sooo fun just watching them with her. I kept waiting for the finale but finally decided it was time for her to go to bed. Since she was enjoying it so much I moved her crib over the window so she could still watch the fireworks all she wanted. She ended up falling asleep watching the fireworks. Cute huh!