Hearts & 6 Months

-Conversation with India after listening and comparing heartbeats-

What does Daddy's heart say?

Bump, bump.

What does Maya's heart say?

Bouncy, bouncy.

Officially 6 months!

15.2 lbs and 25 inches

After four shots and literally three seconds of crying, Maya slept for twenty two hours, waking only for a few feedings. We must have bought a magic binky, which I am going to let her keep until she turns 21.

Mmmmm

She likes it! Rice cereal that is. And she likes to feed herself.

Her aim is pretty good and very messy.

I love this stage. She sits up by herself. She's not crawling but remains a scooting maniac, which is great because she can get to where ever she needs, but not fast. She is a good, good baby. Today I cleaned the church and left her in the stroller. She made not a peep until we reached the two hour mark. She will watch me work out and scoot over to grab my hair if I'm on the floor.

I thing the biggest difference between Maya and India at this stage is that Maya has turned into a mommy's girl and is going through stranger anxiety. She doesn't cry at every stranger. It's been a bit random. But Great Grandma Parker found a way around stranger anxiety in the form of a bowl of icecream!

Zoinks - She's Sassy

Ammon put the girls in the car to pick me up from work at 9 pm last night. Maya was cranky and crying, so Ammon asked India to talk to Maya, thinking it would help distract and calm her down. Obediently and irritatedly, India says, "Shut up Maya!" Ammon then tells India to use her nice words, so she changes her tone and sweetly says, "Be quiet Maya!"

Rain

Only the cool moms let their kids risk giardia.

We've had some rain! And I love it! Our thunderstorms have not been nearly as wet, torrential, or loud as the Mississippi (for Erin) or Illinios (for Ammon) downpours we'd have for HOURS, but this will suffice. All the neighbor kids have been stir-crazy locked into our tinyish apartments, so Susan and I let the kiddos intially splash in the puddles. However, when India layed facedown into the puddles in her clothes, I let her change into her bathing suit.

Tristan sporting the oh-so-cool farmer's tan.

Not afraid of muddy water when totalllly bored.

Gorgeous rainbows. I wish God would permanantly place one over my home everyday.

India & Alyssa playing and talking during the rain.

Marshallman!

Uncle Marshall: smashingly good-looking in a tuxedo.

I recorded Marshall's concert for my parents who were house-hunting in New Hampshire. This piece is entitled Something Classical. Just kidding . . . Marshall probably knows the right name. I am blaming the terrible filming on Maya, who wouldn't stop grabbing the camera string. I couldn't get the other two videos to upload.

Duh.

The girls' room has smelled like nail polish since Friday, and I have NOT been able to find the source of the smell until today: a can of glitter spray paint tipped on its side. No wonder they haven't been sleeping well. I hope they didn't lose too many brain cells from being high.

SOS

Once upon a time Lady Erin was able to change her blog background whenever she wanted. However, this also resulted in accidentally erasing links, widgets, her husband's play lists, etc.

The handsome, cunning, and blog savvy husband Ammon would counter Erin's clumsiness by repairing the blog without complaint and restore the background to something less girly.

One day Ammon surprised Erin with a beautiful girly background! Yet, unbeknown st to her, Ammon cursed the girly background so she could never ever change it again.

If you are able, please come teach Erin how to break the curse on her own blog. She will reward you with a high five or slightly used baby that refuses to sleep throughout the night.

Awesomeness

 

Who needs dance lessons when you've got moves like this? 

Maya Cuteness

Exhausted from watching India & neighbors play in the sprinklers.

Maya is incredibly happy.  Who gets two good babies in a row?  She loves sitting and playing with toys.  She especially loves trying to get the toys Inida is holding.  The way we get India to do things fast is to "beat" Maya or us to it.  The sibling rivalry is quite funny now, but I'm sure I'll get annoyed with it in the future.

In other good news, Maya has started sleeping through the night again.  She took a 2 or 3 week break for no GOOD reason - it's not like she's a newborn anymore.  Anyway, aren't her rolls and chubby cheeks so squeeze-me adorable?  

Summer Fun

Free helium-filled balloon from grocery store + more string + hanger + child = Balloon Kiting

India did a fabulous job of painting my toenails with her new fingernail polish that she got for letting Livia-O wax her unibrow.  I love it!  Last night at work when I was missing the girls, I would slip off my glass slipper shoes (India's term for closed-toe shoes) and admire all the pretty colors she chose for me.

Family Home Evening: "Samuel the Lamanite"

Trying to Catch Up

While watching Enchanted, Panties Livia-O & Hannah gave India a princess makeover.  I didn't get a picture, but Saturday India also got her unibrow waxed off by Livia-O.  And don't you judge me . . . someday she will thank me and hopefully do the same for her children.

Cousin Jack, India, & Maya

Stay tune all week for more updates!

Sleeping

Maya has done this since she was a newborn.  And she is dead asleep.  Goofy, isn't it?

Beads

Ammon: has less than one month of school left till summer break! And we have already packed most of our summer break with plans! Since he just finished boys' soccer this week, he left school at 3pm for the first time since January! He celebrated being home early by immediately driving to the pediatrician's office to complain about a bill (which he axed down to $40 from $140 - no yelling AND no swearing, just a grumpy face).

Me:  Sariah, Livia-O, Hannah, and I went to

 jumparobics at Jump On It in Lindon.  So FUN and so HARD!  And I didn't pee my pants just a little.  They provide free babysitting where the kids get to play on the other blow-up toys and trampolines, and I just kept Maya on the platform by me.  I can't wait to go again.  I also went down to Centerville twice this week to help get my family's house ready for new carp

eting because they are moving to New Hampshire.  Sad news.  But it will be fun to go visit the

m since we've  never been to New Hampshire before!  Lastly, my hair is now dark.  Really dark.  So dark that all of my students, boss, and husband noticed.

India & Maya: India is so fun!  Every morning she asks, "What are we going to do today?"  She loves playing with friends and going to story time.  Maya is rolling over and starting to sit up on her own (finally . . .  at 4 months).  I thought I would take away the bink, but I'm weenie.

The Real Giggles

India is the only one who can make Maya laugh.  (Sometimes Maya will grunt for Ammon and me when we tickle her.)  I filmed this as I was holding Maya Moo, which is why you don't see the front of her face.  Although her laughing and "talking" sounds more teradactyl than human, I think it's adorable because I'm the mom.

Oh sweetie . . .

"Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it." ~Author Unknown

What an Andrew Jackson Can Get You

Here's an email from my mom.  Background: Bryce & Nathanael are my brothers. Nathanael (6)  shares a room and bed with David (8). Nathanael has been scheming ways to marry Josie since he was 3.

April 26, 2009

The funniest thing happened tonight.  Bryce and Josie came over and we did the Easter candy hunt with them (yes, 2 weeks late).   At bedtime, Nathanael said that he would sleep with Josie and Bryce could sleep with David.  Bryce said, "well it cost me $1800 for a wedding ring for Josie so I could sleep with her, so do you have $1800. . . (and then just to be nice). . . or do you have 1800 cents?"  Well, Nathanael ran to his room, grabbed his $20 bill (birthday money) and ran back out to Bryce and said "You owe me 2 dollars"    So, as I write this, Nathanael is sleeping INBETWEEN Bryce and Josie in Rachel's bed, with his tooth under his pillow.  Bryce will learn not to mess with Nathanael when it comes to numbers.

So Bryce, I hope you kept the money. Maybe you could buy Josie a bit of therapy, so she'll want to keep hanging out with our family.

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead

Not really.  The only thing missing from this picture is the cool stripey witch socks.  

India dragged Maya into her secret play space while I was out of the room for 20 seconds.  I'm thinking of the  fun {read: damage} they'll have when Maya's legs start working.

Last week after lunch outside on the porch, I said:

"India, go put your plate in the garbage."

India: "No, you go put the plate in the garbage."

Me: "No, you go put the plate in the garbage. I am not your maid."

India: "You is my mommy maid."

Me:  "No, I'm not.  You've got legs.  Put your plate in the garbage.

India: "I NOT YOUR MAID!"

Me: "YES YOU ARE. GO PUT YOUR PLATE IN THE GARBAGE NOW."

Point for Them

You win PEHP.

Thanks Mom for listening to me unload my frustrations and giving me a great pep talk and advice even though you have tons of homework to finish for finals.  

Thanks Dad for being a human before a doctor and writing off many a patient bill because of his/her circumstances.  

Thank you Diane in billing for changing Maya's bill today after I balled beside your cubicle in front of my children and 13 other strangers because PEHP doesn't cover all immunizations.  

 And finally, thank you to John Schmidt's inspirational music (that I found on Kenna's blog).  After so much crying, it has been the perfect "pick-me-up."

Beautiful Baby

Just a cute picture

India wanted "Cinderella braids" today.  Wait, she's old enough to make requests?  She looked at herself in the mirror the other day and frustratedly exclaimed, "I want straight hair - not curly!"