The Big Kids

They are too cool...

Mariah and Chet say the funniest things and I wish I could remember it all. But here are just a few gems...

Chet is a very compassionate little boy and any time we are talking about someone special to him he says, "I yuv (love) dem (them)" in the most sincere voice. It is so sweet. And almost every morning when Tanner leaves for work Chet asks why he has to leave. After I explain why he always says, "but I miss him".

He insisted on wearing that hat. And that was the day we went to play at the park with at least 4 inches of snow on the ground. The sun was shining so we had to do it. 

One night Mariah and Chet were rough housing and Mariah bonked her nose on the back of Chet's head and it started bleeding. While Tanner was cleaning Mariah up Chet came up and asked to help. He wanted to help wash Mariah's face off and was so gentle as he did it. It was a really tender moment.

Any time we tell him something he doesn't want to hear he says, "don't tease me, mom/dad/yaya (Mariah)!". Or if he isn't satisfied with an answer I give him he says, "Just tell me mom!".

Chet and Mariah are big into role play right now and if Chet isn't a "titty tat" (Kitty cat) then he is man. Not the man, just man. And if I call him Chet he is quick to correct me: "No mom, I man/titty tat."

This is the smile we get now for pictures.

We have had some issues with reverence in the past but Chet has gotten much better about prayer. Now every time we end the prayer, before we even say amen, he shouts out, "I cose (closed) my eyes mom!". He gets too excited to wait for the prayer to be over.

Mariah loves to tell me stories now and they can get quite interesting. In one such story she had this little line: "She had diarrhea and pooped like a space star.". I don't know how a space star poops but it must be pretty bad...

Hopefully our last snowman of the season, Oglebee the 3rd. And the sun was just too bright so they had to have their shades.

Tanner gave Mariah a sip of some juice and she came into me and said, "That juice is revolting!". The girl has a flair for the dramatic.

Mariah likes to pretend like she and Chet are getting married. This is what that entails: Mariah announces to me that they are getting married, then they hold hands and do an awkward shuffle dance for a few seconds and then it is all over and they go back to being cats or snakes or whatever else is far more exciting than a bride and groom.

Here they are in their "party hats". 

Mariah asks a lot of questions, often the same one over and over until she is satisfied with the answer we give her. Just today I have probably spent at least 15 minutes answering questions about the Tree of Life in 1 Nephi. It can be a trial of patience, but it also has strengthened my Testimony in many ways. You can talk about the Savior for only so long before you start to feel something.

She is now a Sunbeam and loving it. She adores her teacher Sister Kirk. Because I teach a primary class as well I get to see her in Sharing Time. Today the group was asked what they like to do with their family each of the sunbeams before her said "play games" but Mariah said "decorate things". Good thing I'm such a decorator....

Mariah got some lip gloss from Grandma and Grandpa Young for Christmas and is a big fan of it. Only problem is that one of the colors is bright blue. She always looks slightly hypothermic while wearing it.

It's blurry because it is next to impossible for me to get a picture of my children without them moving. 

Mariah had to apply some of her pink lip gloss to my lips. 

I have loved watching Mariah and Chet get so much closer now that they have to share me with Austin. Though they can fight like no other they also can love like no other. Here's hoping the love will win out. Something tells me it will.

"Hold my hand Yaya, bad duys (guys)" 

2 Months

Some of our favorite things about our two month old Austin:

• He has started smiling and it is just wonderful. My favorite is when he smiles real big and scrunches his nose up; melts my heart every time. 

• We are starting to get a little bit of talking out of him but he is very soft spoken and stingy with those coos. 
• He still is sleeping like a champ, he goes to bed around nine or ten and then wakes up around 1 or 2 and 4 or 5 to eat. 

• I thought we had a thumb sucker and was excited about that (the idea of not having to get up in the middle of the night to grope around in the dark for a binkie sounded so nice). But he has only done it a few times. 

• Austin doesn't seem to be a fan of a binkie. He's only taken it a handful of times. I was so dependent on the binkie with Chet so I'm kind of sad that he hasn't become a fan of it. 
• Daddy takes him during church so that I can teach my primary class but today Tanner and I were both teaching third hour so I took him and he was such an angel for me. 

They change so much in just a month and we have had a blast watching him learn and grow. 

1 Month

Austin boy is a month! It feels like he has been around all along, he fits in so well. We are just crazy about this sweet boy. Here's a few things about his first month that we don't want to forget:

• He is a grunter. We call him our little bear because he does it so often. I wanted to have him sleep in my room but he was way too loud for me to get any sleep. So he got demoted to the hallway and we are all getting more sleep because of it. 
• I have a content baby! It is almost surreal to put a baby to sleep while sitting down and rocking in a chair. With the other two I had to be up pacing around the house doing squats and lunges to keep them happy and put them to sleep. At least I got in shape...
• Austin is very alert. Right after he was born he was trying his hardest to open his eyes. It's like he wants to take in as much as possible.
• Dad is already his favorite. He has smiled at him a handful of times already...I'm trying not to be jealous. 
• He's a big boy. Surprise surprise. He had gained a pound by his two week checkup and his doctor thought it was hilarious. He wrote "Failure to thrive. Don't starve him." on his card. Hardy har. But I love the chunk; I don't know what I would do with a small baby. 
• He sleeps for two to three hour stretches which I guess is average but has been so wonderful for me! Mariah and Chet really lowered my expectations when it comes to sleeping. 

Speaking of the toddlers, they have done so well with this change. They play together so well, for the most part, while I feed the baby and they love to help. Whenever Austin fusses and I can't get to him yet Chet runs and gets books to "read" to him. This entails Chet sitting down by the baby and silently looking at the books. I guess he figures his presence helps? Mariah loves to hold his hand and sing him songs, usually her originals. 

Our chubby little/big boy

There is always such a sweet spirit in a home with a newborn. Heaven seems just a little closer and it's no exception with Austin.