Merry Christmas!

We had such a wonderful Christmas break! On our way to my parents' home, we stayed with Jason's parents for a night of relaxation, conversation and opening of gifts. McKenzie got a Snow White dress-up from her Stanger Grandparents, which she loves! The best dress-up she previously had was this red shirt (which does make for some nice Ariel hair).



We went to my parents' home for a few days including Christmas and had a blast staying up way too late eating, playing games, talking and laughing lots. I was enjoying myself too much to even think about taking many pictures. Luckily, Elisa took some and I also stole some from Tiffany's blog :) Thanks, girls! Here is a small glimpse of our Christmas break:

The following pictures represents Ethan's face and mine during most of the festivities (much cuter on him)


Making gingerbread men


My parents gave every grand-daughter a huge Care-Bear. It was so funny to wake up one morning to the sounds of a group chant of "Care Bear Stare" while they held out their Bears to face eachother.


This is the groupy that actually stayed for Christmas day (besides my parents - the host and hostess with the most and mostess). The rest of the siblings went home early to spend Christmas with their own little groups
Brother Jason, Sis-in-law Tiffany, Me, Jason, Sis-in-Law Lindsey, Brother Travis, Sister Ashley. Thanks for some great times family!!!!!


Asher and I chillin'

I can't believe my little snow man is 3 months old. Time flies!

O.k., here it is.......

O.k., you've talked me into it. Here is the message (in response to Jason's post) that I had published and then deleted because Jason thought it could come off as preachy. But I didn't mean it to in the least. It's just my very own opinion on my very own blog is all (that, and I'd like all of you to change the way you live. Kidding! Whoa, back off!) :) Besides, we all know Jason has his own agenda going :) ha ha! He's gonna get me for this. Come on, where are my supporters? :) I need you!

"A BIG NO THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO SIDED WITH JASON ON THE NO T.V. ISSUE. I really felt like all of my dreams were coming true without t.v. The smell of bread, my children's creativity flourishing as McKenzie wore a red shirt as Ariel hair and tights for a cape....more silence. I was on my way to living in a perfect paradise world - a heaven on earth. I loved it so much that the thought hadn't even occurred to me that Jason wouldn't want to prolong our one month "experiment" (that I begged him to try) through the eternities. How funny that he brought the t.v. up the very day I wrote my last post (without having read it, of course). I feel like I've been suddenly yanked from my idealistic cloud. My dream has been ripped from my hands - with no thanks to many of you! :) I guess I'll have to re-enter society a bit [feet dragging], get rid of my french braid and modest home-made clothing (replacing them with clothing just as modest, of course - but a little more hip (if you can be hip while using the word hip nowdays, or while using a parenthesis inside of a parenthesis for that matter)). It's amazing how when a television doesn't exist in the house, you don't miss it (at least most of us don't miss it) and then when it is easily accessible we all wonder how we could live without it. Now my children turn the t.v. on themselves and plop down on the couch a few times a day while my power-off-button finger is preoccupied with cleaning the house or feeding Asher. "Oh well," I tell myself. I guess their friends won't label them as "freaks" someday. Watch out - here's the preachy part.....I don't think any of you have a right to take sides on the issue until you have conducted your own in-depth research on the subject......or at least conducted your own experiment. So go ahead, give it a try, get rid of t.v. for one month. Obviously I've learned that it doesn't dazzle everyone, but it sure won me over. By the way, our experiment wasn't too extreme. We still watched movies on weekends with a projector (I don't think we need to live in caves or on deserted islands). As a side note, I'm not generally a violent person, but I do have a reacurring daydream of bashing a t.v. in with a bat at some precise opportune moment - ya know, like when something very unsolicited forces itself into our living room and brain systems. I think that will be on my list of things to do before I die. In the meantime, Jason and I have been thoroughly enjoying cuddling up on the couch to last season's "24" that we've been renting from blockbuster. In fact [looking at watch] he should be home any minute to join me. I better go pop some popcorn or something. I've gotta find out what's going on with Audrey Raines! "beep, beep, beep, beep"."

O.k., now that we're all tired of hearing about no tv........we will bid the subject a sad farewell for now.....although I'm not completely giving up on my plight......I'll just be taking some time off to think of a new way to con Jason into giving it up with me.....any ideas are welcome.....anyway......I'm done.......You can go now......Stop reading this and go watch some t.v. or something. I mean, really.

Snow Day

There are three kinds of people in the world:

Those who like to play in the snow....

those who like to eat it....

and those who prefer to dream about it in the warmth and comfort of their home.

Thoughts from String

I love my wife - she is an amazing woman. Ironically, however - unbeknownst to each other, at the very same time she was making her most recent post (extolling the benefits of a TV-less society), I was packing the TV from the basement to its former location in the family room. 'Why?' you may ask - well, I'll tell you why:

I got tired of winning at board games, my facial muscles are not in good shape for that amount of conversation, and being called "Mama" by Ethan even more than before (because he didn't spend as much "quiet time" in front of the T.V.) was a bit disconcerting.

(Also, I'm a news junky and on some occasions like a good football game.)

A String of Thought

I've entered a new stage of motherhood. Sad to say, it has taken me this long to begin the process of switching from a "this is all about me" mentality to "this is all about my kids". As I slowly adjust to three children I'm trying not to take it for granted. I'm starting to realize that it's not going to last for too long (even though at moments it seems like it's going to last forever) :) I get teary just thinking about how tired I am of sticky little hands on couches and yet how much I'm going to miss them (the little hands, not the stickiness) :) How do you soak in all their cuteness enough or enjoy it enough during the up-8-times-during-the-night nights or the three-children-demanding-my-attention-at-the-exact-moment-with-lungs-to-prove-it moments? I guess the trick is to express gratitude in the moments that allow you the mental space to be grateful. I'm having an especially thankful day today. Ethan was so giggly before his nap, I almost wanted to stay in there and make him giggle all day. Asher was smiling like crazy before his nap - he has the hugest smile with the the cutest dimple. McKenzie and I just finished reading stories for "McKenzie Time" and she is now having quiet time. As I walked her downstairs for quiet time, she said "You're my best sweet Mom" It made my whole day. Days like this remind me what is important and what brings the most happiness. I want to become the Mom I dream I can be (one very similar to my own mom). I want my children to enjoy a slow-paced childhood. I want them to have time to wash and dry their hands their way before bedtime (McKenzie prefers to dry her hands very thoroughly on each and every towel - probably a stalling tactic). I don't want them to be rushed from one thing to the next. Less is more. I thought about putting McKenzie in preschool. Instead we have "McKenzie Time" - her one on one time with me where she gets to decide what we do. We put our television down in storage at the beginning of the month. I love looking into my family room and seeing a plant in its place. Couches can face couches now. People can face people. On our first night without a t.v., Jason and I sat down on the couches to relax and, lo and behold, we were facing EACHOTHER! We talked and laughed. We started planning game night parties and family home evenings as we went through the ward list trying to find the couples that were "our type" and wondering what the other one of us "saw" in other certain couples. We quickly found that, wow, amazingly enough, we were actually just as entertaining as television. "The Office" has nothing on us. I thought we would miss t.v. We haven't. It's just one less thing that clutters up our time. I was even more surprised to find out that our kids haven't missed it. Our family room is like a new room that has been added onto our house. Instead of a place to slump down and turn off the mind in front of noise, our family room now represents a different quality of life to me. A life full of quiet, calm, peace, time for reflection, time for giggling, time to measure ingredients, knead dough, let bread rise, and recognize it's delicious warmth and smell, time for cotton ball spoon races, time for gazing into eyes and figuring out what is really being said, time to practice being the Mom I dream of being one day. Hopefully my children won't notice the difference while I'm in the "faking it" stage of "fake it 'til you make it".

Well, you got more than you bargained for in this post! The strangers and the strangers of strangers reading this are definitely going to feel like intruders now. I've just opened up my heart for the world to view. Hope you enjoyed it blog invaders! :)

Are YOU reading this?

Confession: I have trespassed into the lives of people I don't even know. Many of the stranger's lives I've peaked into have no idea I did. Ya, spooky! I'm like a ghost passing through; an intruder in the night. This is the beauty of the blog world. I guess it's just an extension of reality t.v. in a way - especially for those of us who have put their t.v.s in storage to collect mothballs with all their other junk. I even frequent a very few stranger's blogs. I was brave enough to comment on one with questions and recieved a reply. Recently an old friend commented on my blog that she had been waiting for a new post from me (Jaime!) :) I had no idea she knew my blog address or that she was reading it until then. I'm glad she commented so that I could find her blog and peak into her entertaining little world. Well, so this leaves me curious. Who is reading this blog? Who are you? What chain of people did you go through to get to me? Are you a regular attender or just passing through? How do you know me? How don't you know me? Time to FESS UP! :) I think it would be fun for all of us to get an idea of how many people actually see our posts. So, if you are reading this, please quickly comment. This experiment may be a huge failure. If I get 3 comments, I'll know that I'm not one of those "popular" blogs that even strangers and the strangers of strangers flock to :) But, I'm betting more people than we even know are viewing our lives. So come out of the closet with it folks. Chisel yourselves out of the woodworks. Maybe we could even form new friendships - or start where we left off with old ones. Besides, I need more blogs to view.....o.k., defnitely kidding about that last part. :)

Asher Smiles

Asher's first 100% genuine smile, performed with both corners of his mouth, was on November 5th. It was followed by a short, but distinct "coo" and made my whole day. The next day he smiled a big mouth-wide-open smile for quite awhile. It almost looked like he was trying to laugh. Some mothers feel a bond when their baby is still in the womb (ya know, the kind of mothers that put headphones on their bellies and play Mozart? I guess?). Some mothers feel a strong bond at birth (mostly I feel exhausted and euphoric - in both senses of the word). Well, with our first little interactions, Asher and I are officially bonded (so if you were wondering if you could have him, the answer is no). :) I can't believe he's over 7 weeks old now. Time flies! So I'm curious. When do you feel that strong "bond" with your babies?

I'm making an amendment to this post. I guess the more relevant question would be, what's your definition of "bonded". I am totally excited and delighted about my baby while in the womb and even more so when I see them and hold them and take them home. However, it's when that first interaction takes place that I can see that there's a little spirit in there - they are their own person, I am my own person and we are starting a friendship where we are each participants in our own way. It's the start of a friendship that will last through the eternities. Now THAT is bonded.



What a cute little thing! I love this boy!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! My kids dressed up 4 times! Here are some pictures from Trunk-or-Treat and from Halloween night. My friend and her family came trick-or-treating with us (her daughter, Julia, and McKenzie are friends). McKenzie and Julia held hands on their way to each house while talking about....whatever it is that 3-year-old friends talk about. It was really cute. Ethan had no interest in acquiring candy - he only cared about walking along the sidewalk ahead of us as fast as he could, which made for an exhausting night for Jason and me - mostly for Jason since Asher was all snuggly, warm and fast asleep on me (in the Bjorn). Fun times. My kids and I have been eating WAY too much candy! (I think Jason has had a total of 4 bite-sized candy bars. It's not human.......sometimes I wish I were not human. Nah! Please pass another Butterfinger - oh, and I'll have a tootsie roll with that).

Stickers

Travis and Lindsey, Thank you for the fun Halloween card and stickers for the kids!

Highlights from Asher's Second Week

You know how babies should gain their birth weight back by the second week? Asher surpassed his birthweight by a wopping 1 lb and 3 oz. He also gained 1 3/4 inches. Maybe he is getting big already! Slow down, boy! Although I do love little Chunks O' Love that like to eat. Isn't he the cutest?


Asher's second bath


Our first trip out on the town together - just me and the kids. After over a week of hardly seeing the sun, I really felt the need to get out of the house for awhile. Place of choice: Target - where you can get popcorn and a drink for $1.08. It creates a movie/amusement park-type ambience for the kids and buys you time to stroll the aisles at your leasure. McKenzie and Ethan were pretty good. Asher slept the whole time. The only mishap - the spilling of popcorn right at the start - two big piles on the floor. Oops!




Yep, this picture pretty much confirms that I looked as tired as I felt.


Dressing ourselves. I like to call this "Michael Jackson meets Strawberry Shortcake" She was pretty proud of the ensemble.


Taking notes at conference


Praying together. Ethan demands to get out of his crib for prayer time and kneels right next to McKenzie. One time he didn't get right next to her and she put her arm around him and helped him scoot next to her - he eagerly complied. If it's time to pray, he is right there with hands clasped ready to go. Right after the prayer, he crawls onto McKenzie's bed and then onto the headboard and jumps off. But not a second sooner than "Amen". He's so cute with prayers.


Last but not least - Making cookies! And the best part of making cookies, is of course........





















drum roll please......

Cookies, Cleaning, and Cute Decorating Kids....ur..something

Here's something random. I gave a cookie to McKenzie and she ate all but a bite-sized piece and informed me that she was saving the rest on the counter for later. The next couple of days I asked her if she wanted her cookie (hoping to clean off the counter). She didn't yet. On day three I asked her and she said "yes". "Oh good", I thought. She took a tiny nibble of it and again told me she was going to save the rest for later. I think she took another nibble another time as I stood there in amazement that she could get 2 nibbles out of that and still have some left. Finally after probably 5-ish days she ate it after I asked her if she wanted to eat it or if she wanted me to give it to Ethan. Wow, this girl definitely does not take after her Momma in this department! I guess she'd be more like Jason who amazes me by eating one cookie every couple of days when I make a batch! Are these people crazy? Ethan, on the other hand is my junkie buddy. At least I have someone to party with.

Another something random.......as I was walking through the house in a zombie-state after Asher didn't have the best night of sleeping, I noticed a perfect little greesy hand print on the window. In an attempt to keep myself moving and halfway alert, I grabbed the windex and a cloth and went to work. McKenzie thought it looked like fun. I got her a cloth and she enjoyed washing the windows for quite awhile - with Ethan's help after he realized what he was missing. Nice! Time to catch a few winks - or take pictures, at least.

O.k., last but not least, up by popular demand (or at least in response to one popular, yet demanding person) more pictures of Asher as to not hog him all to ourselves.

Love you, Julie! :)

Asher looks so big in the pictures with Ethan. I almost didn't want to post them as to not misrepresent his size. Then I realized it's just that Ethan is still pretty small :) The fun of having them so close in age - Love it! I'm excited for when they're about the same size and can create havoc together. On the other hand, I'd like Asher to stay tiny - smaller than he looks in this picture.

One morning McKenzie decided to "decorate" Asher. So Here's an Asher Blanket Cake with a Kenzie on top (not to mention the shirt thrown in the middle).

Introducing Asher Helaman

Here he is! Asher Helaman at 5 hours old. He's so cute! He was born at 5:05 a.m. on Friday the 21st, weighed 7lbs. 6 oz. and was 21 1/2 inches long. I think he looks a lot like McKenzie, but also has something all his own (although this picture actually makes him look more like Jason and Ethan). He loves being held - he slept beautifully last night when he was cuddled up next to Jason.

So the plan was to be induced Friday morning. I spent Thursday working all day to finish last minute things, taught piano lessons and then took McKenzie and Ethan to Elisa's (thank you Elisa and Bruce!!!). I hadn't eaten since lunch and was ready to eat and sleep real good before the big day. As I started on my way home from Elisa's house my doctor called and said that he didn't think it would happen Friday because I was pretty far down on the list to be induced. But, if I came in that night, he had arranged with the hospital to induce me if I wanted to. Whoa! Not ready.......but SO ready! There was no way I could wait another few days or a week! I called Jason who had had a long 14 hour day at work himself and starting to feel a little sick. He was on his way home and gave the "o.k." He got home and vacuumed out the jeep and put the carseat in. I got home and showered real quick and then we were off! We got to the hospital at 10:30 p.m. Poor Jason had to try to get some sleep on one of those hard high-centered so-called "recliners" while I snoozed on a luxurious bed with warm right-out-of-the-dryer blankets and plush pillows between contractions and popcycles (and then even during contractions after the beloved epidural). Jason jokes around with me that the labor and delivery was a lot worse for him than for me. Shhhhh......don't tell him, but I don't think that's far from truth. In fact, my most uncomfortable moment must have been the shocking realization, as Jason's chair slowly reclined - *tension building* - and then suddenly came to a shrieking hault, that THAT was the position he was required to sleep in for the night. Are you kidding me? Was this an innocent designer flaw or someone's cruel and sinister plan? Poor guy! But, we're all home and happy and doing great and slowly trying to catch up on sleep. It's so nice to have Asher here! I'm exhausted, but too excited to sleep as much as I should. I love snuggling with him and staring at him. But, I better go take a nap anyway.......enjoy the pics!



Is there a way this could be less comfortable? Of course, believing that it must be someone's deliberate devilish design, I'm sure they explored every uncomfortable option and only
provided these new fathers with the best. (Well, at least they're good at what they do).



Meanwhile......back at my bed.....Listen up, ladies! Your hospital stay is your Spa Day. This is definitely a time to celebrate! How many times in your life do you get waited on hand and foot with the push of a button? It's the scenerio we mothers often dream about - made a reality at every new birth of a beautiful child. Live it to it's fullest. It won't happen often enough. It's a time to bring a huge stash of your favorite treats and eat them with complete abandon. If you want chocolate milk at dinner instead of regular 1%, speak up and be counted for. If you want more saltines with your percocet, ask them kindly to "bring a towering stack next time". Sad will be the days when this event will no longer be in my future.


I was seriously worried how Ethan would react, being a Momma's boy and just having entered the "hitting stage" with flying colors........but, he couldn't have been cuter with Asher, tickling him so gently ("ticko, ticko, ticko") and brimming over with excitement to see this little person. He wanted to hold him so bad right away. We have it on video and it's priceless!


McKenzie could hardly contain her excitement as well. She's in love with him! But, when it was Ethan's turn to hold Asher, she was quite concerned that Ethan would "squash him". She's going to be quite the protective little mother.


What a cute little family, if I do say so myself. What's better than this?
Nothing.

Sidewalk Art

I love that McKenzie is getting older and able to do more and more things that bring back my own childhood memories. Children bring out a whole new world of summer fun! We're sad to see this season go, but are also excited for some cool, crisp fall weather ahead - along with a cute little bundled up Asher. Life is great. What's better than working on a sidewalk masterpiece together? I was surprised that Ethan also spent quite a bit of time coloring - between taking bites of chalk, of course. Yum! Follow it up with sharing cold popcycles that stain mouths and drip down little fingers and arms, and you've had the perfect afternoon.

Looke close at McKenzie's colorful face :)