Summer Fun

Well, almost summer. Yesterday sure felt like summer! After getting some work done in the morning, we headed down to the beach for a day of fun with Heidi and Kate. Kate got a new red wagon and the babies LOVED riding and playing in it. What a hit! They played in the sand, kicked their feet in the water, and looked at all the cool sandcastles - and it was a perfect day. It's so fun to watch Ezekiel play now. He is so purposeful about the toys he picks out and he finds all different ways to entertain himself. It's fun to take him to the beach now and know that I'm not the only one really enjoying it! He really loves being outside and playing somewhere new.

Sweet dreams, little one

The past couple of weeks have brought new sleep challenges for our little man. He's been pretty good about just falling asleep when he is tired, but that is certainly changing as he realizes how much fun he has when he's awake! At first it was just trouble at naptimes, and then recently it became a not-so-fun experience at bedtime too. Since becoming a mom, I firmly believe that good sleep is a huge factor in the "happy baby" equation. So, I busted out every book I've read on sleep training and talked to several professional mothers for a refresher on how to handle the "I'm not tired (but I really am)" baby. Our conclusion: A wonderful combination of what so many experts shared with us - and it seems to be working! I won't bore you with all the details, but we are working hard to establish a predictable nap and bedtime routine, which includes lots of cuddle time and a quiet atmosphere as we prepare him for bed. Now, instead of crying and desperately trying to escape from his prison (I mean, crib) when we lay him down, he will usually just fall asleep or lay in there talking for a while before drifting off. Sometimes he'll even whine a little, but I'll take that over crying any day. Added bonus: I am really enjoying the calm and peaceful time we are spending together as we prepare him for bed. It really makes for a much better evening all around. Here's to hoping this keeps up!


Random addition: Ezekiel enjoying his broccoli at dinner tonight

Mother's Day Reality

"When I hold him exhausted from the day's work and the disturbed nights, there is a deep relief and pleasure at finding myself able to give - again and again - what's needed: bottles, changes, attention. I've at last found the good mother within me, the ability to put someone else's needs before my own, and he's so beautiful it feels like a privilege." - Jean Radford, Balancing Acts

I guess you could say my first Mother's Day was not all I had imagined. The unraveling of expectations began on Friday night when Kevan came home from work having trouble breathing. His cold had worsened over the last couple of days, and we headed off to urgent care to figure out what was going on. A few hours and 2 antibiotics later, we knew he was battling pneumonia. Saturday morning started at 5 a.m. when my son decided he was done sleeping (what happened to 7 or 8?!). The problem was, I had just started sleeping, since poor Kevan was up coughing all night. By 10 a.m. I knew for sure that our weekend plans to go to Santa Barbara and stay at a bed and breakfast were long gone. Fighting off dissapointment, I called the B&B to cancel only to be reminded that our room was non refundable. Awesome. (Let me tell you, I was determined to get my money's worth anyway, so I day dreamed about that trip all day- right down to the scrumptious breakfast we were supposed to have this morning!). The rest of the day was spent trying to get our son to nap, worrying that he was getting sick too, and disinfecting everything I could get my hands on.

So... today was not all that much different. Although Ezekiel slept much better (yay!) and was happy all day (a great gift to mama), there were still sheets and towels to wash, toys to clean, and plenty to do to help Kevan. When my husband woke up this morning, still feeling half dead, he gave me the biggest hug he could muster and said "Happy Mother's Day. I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything big." I told him the first thing that came to my mind "I've already recieved the greatest gift - our beautiful son." And that is when I realized that this was the best Mother's Day ever. It is the first time I've celebrated the day as a MOTHER. It is not about the cards (though they are wonderful), or the acknowlegement (boy, is it nice to hear), or even the sentimental gifts. It is about recognizing the gift that was given to me on August 23, and how every day I am privileged to rise above myself and take care of him - when it's easy and when it's really not so fun at all. It's about seeing who I really am when I look at him, and striving to better myself so that I can be the kind of mother I want to be. Even though we couldn't even go to church, I had a wonderful time of devotion this morning reading Titus 2 and was reminded of qualities I want to exemplify as a mom. (Did you know self-control is mentioned 4 times in that chapter?)

By 2 o'clock today, I was pretty sure I am coming down with whatever Kevan is fighting and neither one of us had much energy to take care of our baby. We managed to tag team and keep him happy and playing, and I just kept looking at him thinking about how amazing he is. Big ol' eyes, little curls sticking out like wings from his sweaty head, and his spontaneous giggling fits - how could I love anything more? We ended the day watching the video of when our son was born, and I relished in hearing his first cry one more time. That is when motherhood began for me, and today was just one more day I was blessed to be Ezekiel's mama.

A day in the life...

A smattering of fun pictures from the past couple of weeks:


Looking like such a big (sleepy!) boy flying home from WA (no, he didn't sit there when we were in the air!)


Looking cool with Papa at Isaac's baseball game


Elway and Ezekiel hanging out together


"Look what Seth let me borrow!"


It's COOL to match with dad!




Working on my crawl and...


Practicing my push ups!


Now you can see my TWO teeth!




"Oh, mom, you are so funny!"

Traveling Man

We have been so busy the past few weeks! After Doheny, Ezekiel and I went to Arizona for 3 days to represent our family at Kevan's cousin's wedding (daddy had to work). We had a great time, and Ezekiel loved every minute of all the hugs, kisses, attention and little presents. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family who loves him so much. The wedding was BEAUTIFUL and Ezekiel slept happily in his Grandma Anna's arms for most of the reception. He got his second wind later on, though, and even danced with mama for a while! Congratulations Jessica and Blaine! What a perfect day - and the best is yet to come!

We got home from Arizona just in time to repack and head to WA for my dear friend Kristen's wedding. We spent 5 days helping Kris with last minute details and laughing it up with the other bridesmaids. 6 girls, 2 babies, and one 2 bedroom apartment. What a crazy, wonderful, and memorable time we had! It was such a joy to share those final "single" days with Kris and to get to know her other friends even better. And the wedding day.... ahhhh.... it was amazing. Everything I had ever pictured for Kris. Truly like a dream come true. I enjoyed every minute of watching my sweet friend beam from head to toe and relish in the beauty of her wedding day.

So, here are some pictures from our trip to AZ, with more from WA coming soon!


Ezekiel with his 2nd cousin Russell - think they're related?








Hanging out in the "Bronco" room at Uncle Gary's!