Fun Weekend

      My sisters came to visit over President's Day holiday weekend.  We love having them!

 (It was really bright and windy)

I love having sisters!

      I feel my last post needs some clarification or my husband may use it against me when I'm begging for sympathy.  I love my role as mother and everything that entails.  As isolated events, do I love handling melt-downs and tantrums?  Do I love waking up in the AM feeling more tired than I went to sleep feeling?  How about how clean my  house stays, or doesn't, while I'm busy diapering two kids? . . . Um . . . No.  I am not Super-Mom.  These things are wearing.  Some days are better than others. However, in the overall picture, the good over shines the bad so I can honestly say, I love it all.  Having kids has thrown my life into a blissful chaos.

I LOVE being a Mom!

       I don't have the vocabulary to describe how much I love, love, LOVE my kiddos. They are SO good! According to "The Baby Whisperer", Bridger is a 'Textbook' personality, meaning he is very predictable and easy going. Myra is an 'Angel' baby. She isn't bothered by loud noises, or anything really. Maybe she will change when she is more awake, but so far, she is so easy. I don't know how I got so lucky to have kids that are so good.

       I love this time right now. Bridger is at the age where he loves his mom and dad and his baby sister so much. He is also a lot of fun to play with and he's copying everything we say. One of his new games is his version of Hide and Seek. He hides behind the curtains and cues me in on what to say: "Where's Bridger? I don't see him? I don't know? ... There he is!"

       Myra is so sweet. I remember people saying how much they love this baby stage, and after I had Bridger, I thought they were crazy. I think I was so busy trying to figure out what to do, and trying to do everything the right way that I didn't really enjoy Bridger until he was a few months old. Now that I know better how I want to do things, I feel like I am able to enjoy this time much more. Do I love getting up for middle of the night feedings? Yes! This is such a precious stage, I'll take it! Do I love the beginnings of the 'Terrible Two's'? Yes! Because it's all part of being a mom. I am the luckiest!

       I love this crew! ...   

Our first outing:

      On Monday it was warm enough to go to the park!  Bridger loved getting outside and Sister slept the whole time!

 

 Tummy Time... Myra always falls asleep during her exercises.

 MMm... Chocolate covered strawberries!

Sister

     It's been two weeks since Myra came into our family.  I can hardly believe its already been that long!  I'm worried she is going to get big too quickly.  Yesterday was her actual due date.  This little girl is so sweet and good.  She mainly sleeps and looks cute and she does a really good job at both!  We took her in to the pediatrician for her two week appointment and she has gained a whole pound since birth!  She now weighs 7 pounds 2 ounces!

       Bridger loves Sister sooo much!  He gives her lots of hugs and kisses!  I have to keep an eye on him because sometimes he tries to carry her.  One day I was upstairs and I came down and found Myra hanging half way out of her bouncy chair.  It's all out of love.

Happy Birthday Bridger!

      Bridger had his TWO year birthday on February 7!  He still seems to think every day is his birthday... probably because his birthday stretched over several days with three parties!  He was extra spoiled this year. :)
      The first party he had in Utah with Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen.  They had presents, balloons, and a super fun turtle cake.  We skyped in on the party and saw Bridger thoroughly enjoying the attention.  He got all he could have asked for... he would have been completely happy after unwrapping a bag of marshmallows, but then he also got "Llama Llama Red Pajama" (one of his favorite books; he has it memorized), and a kids toy fishing pole (he's been practicing his perfect cast; I've been shielding baby Myra).

      My dad brought Bridger home to us on Sunday.  We had his second birthday party on Monday while grandpa was here.  He got lots more presents (mostly from grandma's and grandpa's and aunts and uncles), another cake, and more balloons.

 Bridger loved bouncing on these balloons!  It entertained him for a long time.

Thank you Grandma Poulton for the cute bag you made!!

We skyped with my mom.  Bridger wanted so badly to give her a hug...

      We started his birthday party late in the evening (due to some cake trouble) and the birthday excitement wore him right out, so we didn't get to the cake and ice cream.  We even had a few presents that were all left over for his real birthday.  So the next day Bridger woke up singing "Happy Birthday to You" (as he has every morning since), and he had another birthday day.  He blew out his candles for the third time and this time we ate cake and ice-cream too.  I tried to get video of him singing "Happy Birthday" and he'd say it until I started videoing and then he just stared at me, we tried it a few times, I never got it. 

 We got him this little basketball hoop for his birthday.  He stuffed it full with: two bears, four balls, and my cell phone...

      We went to his two year pediatrician appointment today and he is off the charts!  ...falling off the charts that is.  His weight is much below where they would like him to be.  He is right where he should be for height (50%), but his weight isn't there.  He's a skinny kid that loves fruit and goes sparingly on everything else.  Then he is super active and I'm sure he burns off every calorie we can get into him. 
      Does anyone know any good tricks for fattening kids up? (Without just handing him cubes of butter)?

Our first week home

      This has been such a fun week being home with Myra, Devin, Bridger and my mom!  

      My mom flew in Friday night, late.  So she was here as soon as I made it home.  It was so great to have her here!  She kept Bridger entertained and happy, she made us lots of yummy food and helped to fill our freezer up with meals.  She watched Myra and Bridger so I could do some store runs, and helped so much to make it easy for me at home.  It was sad when she had to leave for home Thursday morning.  She took Bridger home with her and it has been so quiet around the house without him.  I haven't had days this relaxing in a long time.  We miss our little guy though.  He'll be coming back with grandpa after this weekend.

       Bridger loves his baby sister!  He is good at being soft with her.  When ever she cries he says "Happy" and tries to give her a hug or share his teddy bear with her.  He has a hard time walking past her without giving her hugs and kisses and squeezes.  He loves her so much!  He also shared his cold with her...

      Myra is such a good little baby. She has been working hard to grow and sleeps most the time. When she was two days old they weighed her and she had gained two ounces. Usually babies lose weight before they leave the hospital, but she left weighing 6.35 pounds. Today I took her in for her week weigh in and she weighs 6 pounds 8 ounces!  

 

    She is our angel baby.  Maybe it is because she came two weeks early, she does lots of sleeping.  The hardest part about her is getting her to wake long enough for a full feeding.  She has been easy on me and usually only wakes twice during the night for feedings.  I feel really blessed... this whole pregnancy, birth, and baby stage so far have been so easy.  (So easy in fact that Devin thinks she is boring).  Myra seems to be thriving and I feel super!  Our family is so so blessed!

       Bridger has the coolest belly-button ever.  It sticks straight out.  He loves to play with it.  His latest thing is trying to poke things with his belly-button, like the wall, the TV stand, etc.  Here he is poking Myra's head.  :)

 Myra's first bath.  She loved it.  ha

My little cutie with her eyes open! 

We don't see her eyes too often.