Of Pukes And Poop

First. Someone pooped. Without mom knowing.

Then, Nash found the poop.

Then, Nash ate the poop.

Then, Nash puked the poop on dad's chest.

Dad identified the puke as poop.

Mom promptly ran to the bathroom and puked.

Luckily we are equipped with a sense of humor. And a baby tooth wipe. Which was just waiting for such an occasion.

The real question is, whose poop was it?

Lol.

We're in for it...

Today, we were sitting in the pew at the very beginning church and both boys were standing at our feet trying to maneuver a hymn book out of its holder. I leaned over to Cameron and whispered "I think church is about to get crazy." I thought we had a few weeks to psyche up for the crazy. Boy was I wrong! Not 10 minutes into sacrament meeting, Nash peed through his diaper. Then, Gray started "singing" which is a loud gravely scream. Though he sounds happy and it makes everyone laugh, it's pretty distracting. So Cam took him outside to calm him down. Rowdy boy! Also, Cam is the ward choir pianist and I sing in the choir. We were performing a song for Ward Conference today and seconds before we go up to sing, Nash pukes all down my arm, in my hair, and over the back of the pew! We wiped him up, handed him off to the lady sitting next to us and went to sing. What a nice lady!

Things got much better after the puke though. Gray fell asleep cuddled up on my shoulder. It has been months since I have felt his warm breathing on my neck. He is such a doll baby. Nash was still being crazy, but Cam had to take him because Gray was sleeping. I took Nash to Sunday School and got him to sleep in Young Women's.

Normally, Cam has the magic touch to getting the boys to sleep at church. It made me feel good. I hope it isn't a fluke. After a crazy sacrament meeting, we had good naps at church! That never happens. Maybe we do have a few more weeks to psyche up for the tornado that's heading our way.

For now we're all pretty beat. Well mom and dad are. We put on beauty and the beast in hopes of some down time. Cam and I are laying on the couches. Nash is crawling everywhere and Gray is drumming on the DVD player. Still I wouldn't change a thing.

Bowling Night!

Last night we went out on the town a little bit. It had been months since we had blown off bedtime and had some fun! All of our Chiropractic School friends were getting together at a bowling alley in Grapevine, so we loaded up and headed their way. I was a little apprehensive because at home, bowling alleys are full of smoke and they are dark and have obnoxious loud music. We went to a Main Event bowling alley which was completely family friendly. We had so much fun. The boys loved all the lights and sounds and of course all the balls. I started the game with a strike and a spare and try as he might, Cam couldn't catch up. {He ended the game with a spare, but alas my final frame also had a strike and a spare. I love beating him. :)}

It was so good to see our friend again! We hadn't all been together since before Christmas and in that time my friend Tori had her baby, Channing. I was so excited to meet him! He was so precious and she gets major points for coming out and bringing him! Hand sanitizer was everywhere, but oh we had fun!

Everyone is so good with our boys. It makes it so we get to have a fun time too. Two other families have kids and there are a few couples without kids, so plenty of hands to hold. So great.

I gave up keeping the boys from crawling on the floor early on. They had a bunch of fun patterned lights that blinked and flashed all over the floor and Nash was having a blast trying to catch them.

Since we were all the way out in Grapevine, we decided to see how far away we were from our favorite Bahama Buck's. It has a drive-thru and is ideal for getting the best treat EVER without having to unload the kiddos. We were only about 15 minutes away, so we headed over there on our way home. Gray refused to fall asleep. The boys were pretty high on life after the bowling alley. So we didn't get to park and enjoy, but I have become pretty pro at spoon-feeding people. And we had a full punch card to redeem! $5 for two huge Bahama Buck's? Amazing. I got Cinnamon and Wedding Cake with Chocolate Creme. Tastes like chocolate covered cinnamon bears. Amazing. Cam got a Bahama Rama Mama with Vanilla Blue Bell Ice Cream and Root Beer ice. So so good. We shared and talked all the way home.

The best part was that since the boys were up so late, we all slept in until 8:45! What a great way to start the weekend. 

Blueberries for Breakfast

And so begin my days of cutting EVERYTHING in half...

First Haircuts!

I had been thinking about cutting the boys' hair for a couple months and it finally got to the point where Cam agreed that it was time to cut it. Gray has been affectionately nicknamed the rockstar due to his peacock-like mohawk. It was nearing 3 inches long and had as much body as ever. Nash's just got longer and stringier and was coming down into his eyes. It was time.

I had a bit of a meltdown right before giving them the haircuts. They are so little! And I knew this haircut would make them look like little boys instead of my babies. They're getting bigger whether I like it or not though, and a haircut would make them look so handsome. So we got out the clippers and the bumbo chair and went to work! 

I admit, I burst into tears after cutting Nash's hair. I was worried I had messed it up around his ears. Upon further review I was just being insane. It looked great. But Cam started teasing me. And I lost it. In Cam's defense, any normal person would have been just fine taking the teasing. It was light hearted and done in love. And I was a disaster. After a quick regroup, we tackled Granger's rockstar mane. 

His was much easier to handle. He looked handsome from the get go. I could tell this was going to be such a good thing! And my confidence was up because Nash really did look great. Cam held their little faces and distracted them and played with them while I cut. It worked great. I am absolutely thrilled with how they turned out! But they do look like little boys now. I can't believe how grown up they look. We decided to take a celebratory swing ride. Oh they look so handsome. 

Boys Boys Boys

I am a mom of boys. I can't get over how fun it is to watch these kiddos discover the world around them. They are so curious. They are charming. They are heartthrobs for sure. I have severe crushes on them both. Nash has been feeling less than great lately, poor guy. We've been cuddling on the couch and watching Chuck the Dump Truck and looking out the window a lot. We hit the jackpot yesterday when a bunch of backhoes and tractors and bulldozers were working out in the alley across the street. Every few minutes one would drive by our house. It went on for hours. A parade of construction vehicles just for my sick boy.

We spent a great deal of time perched on the couch. This was as normal as he'd been acting in days! He kept reaching out and touching the window and squealing and then he would look back at me all excited and I would say, "I know! I see them too!" and we would go back to watching. Gray joined us a few times as well. He would crane his neck to catch the final glimpses of the bulldozer as it drove out of sight.

He was feeling great, though, and took advantage of the space to get some good crawling practice in. He's got the army crawl down, but it's a rare occasion for him to be up on all fours truckin' around the house.

I thought Nash was feeling better early afternoon and sent this picture to Cameron while he was at school studying. Nash was goofing around and laughing and talking with Gray. It was so nice to see him act normal! And then nap time came.

He took a great nap and woke up three hours later completely covered in diarrhea. Poor guy! This is the third day in a row we have had bathtime right after naps because of this issue. Apparently we have a few more stomach bugs to work out. (I attribute it to the dirt he ate out of my potted plant a few days ago. Mischief.)

I bathed Gray with Nash because I'd rather only do bathtime once, and they both really enjoy it. They are able to pull themselves up now and I came around the corner to this: both of them, towel wrapped, watching the construction again.

Boys. Little Men. And they're mine.

Poop

Dear Nash. You are adorable. However, I would like to go back to the time where I didn't have to strip you down and put you in the tub after every nap, because you have pooped down to the toes of your footie pajamas. Sincerely, Mama

Ten Months Old!

Double. Digits. I can't believe how fast this time has gone by. We are having a blast! The boys' tenth month was largely taken up by travelling to Arizona for Christmas and spending time with Daddy during his break from school. They are turning into little boys. Every day they look older to me. They are changing so fast. And it is exciting and heart wrenching at the same time. I love them to the point of bursting. Someone recently described that feeling as knowing what it feels like to be perfect, in that moment. I have experienced more perfection over the past ten months, and the year prior, than I probably deserve. But oh, I am grateful for that.

A lot of their tenth month was also spent trying new foods. Most of these experiments ended in diaper rash and upset tummies. Rookie Mom.

I have two very different boys. One evening I just put their dinner on their tray for them to play with and feed themselves. They were going through a very independent phase and I wanted to see how they did. Within seconds Nash's dinner was all over him, the tray, the floor, etc. And then I watched Gray stick out one very deliberate pointer finger and weasel one green bean away from the rest of the meal and put it in his mouth. He takes after his dad. Neither of them like messes very much. It cracked me up.

We still go in every night to kiss the boys before we go to bed. More often than not, the lighting in there is so angelic on their beautiful little faces. I probably have over 200 pictures of the boys just sleeping away, but trying to capture that feeling of perfection is so important to me. I hope one day Nash and Granger can realize exactly how much joy they bring to me and their dad.

I am quickly falling in love with Texas. We have been spoiled immensely. The weather is gorgeous all through the winter. Maybe a week of nasty cold weather, but other than that you can get outside with little kids and not worry about anything! There are so many kid friendly things to do here! Each city puts up a different lights show and we met up with our Chiropractic Intern, Mike and his wife Meg to check out a few of the cities. It was so nice to get some adult conversation, beautiful surroundings, Christmas cheer, and time out of the house. We grabbed hot cocoa from Starbucks and drove around a beautiful neighborhood after a nice long walk through Frisco Square. The boys love all the lights and I love walking arm in arm with Cameron.

Right before we drove to the airport, we stopped at another lights display at Vetruvian Park. There are over 200 trees there all wrapped in a single color. The boys loved it. Nothing was flashing, they could just focus on the one color. They were so intent with their focus. It's so fun to me to see them discover the world around them. Through the park there were beautiful bridges and this large water canal with walking paths all around it. My favorite lights display hands down. The reflections in the water made everything so peaceful and sparkly. It was gorgeous. We will be making this a tradition for sure.

As soon as we got back from Arizona, it hit us just how sick we all were. Cameron and I didn't feel great, but the boys were absolutely miserable. We took them to urgent care only to be told that they didn't accept patients under 2 years old. So we took them to a pediatric urgent care, only to be told that they didn't accept our insurance. So we took them to the hospital. After a long wait we were told it was a virus and there was nothing we could do for them and to give it another 4 days. FOUR DAYS? Are you kidding me? So we took them to see the chiropractor. They see a pediatric specialist there named Sarah. She is brilliant. The boys turned the corner the very next day. I am so grateful this is the profession and career path we are on. It is such a powerful and non-invasive and EFFECTIVE approach to healthcare. It brings me a lot of comfort to know that in just a few short years, Cameron will be able to adjust our family whenever the need arises. Also, as I was going over the paperwork from the hospital, we were billed for "ear wax removal" for Nash. What a joke.

Since we only had a few days before Cameron started school again, we decided to make the best of it. After all, we were all on the mend. Maybe not feeling 100% better, but we were getting there. Some friends of ours told us about Canton First Monday Trade Days, so we packed up and drove an hour out to small town Texas and enjoyed the biggest flea market I have ever seen in my life. Warehouse after warehouse had shops with everything you can imagine. We bought some spice mixes, salsa mix, and a bunch of wooden letters. And we bought a red velvet funnel cake and a massive corndog to complete the experience. And then we walked outside and discovered a football field full of yard sale style offerings. Except they were awesome. Old metal signs, marquis, stools, vintage toys, vintage everything, kitchenware, birdcages, you name it. It was a DIYers dream. We only had our little civic with us and the stroller took up most of the trunk. Plus, we had no money, but oh I would have loved a whole day to just browse all the trash to treasure that was there. Too fun.

We got out of the house the next day to do some shopping with Christmas money. We had a few returns to make and ended up just walking around the mall. I was on the lookout for some Bath and Body Works deals I had seen in Arizona, but didn't want to pay to ship them back to Texas. Lucky enough we found exactly what I was looking for in the malls here. It's a detox sleep lotion. And it is magic. Last two were pulled off the shelf for me. I only bought one. I should have bought both. Hate that. What I love though, is how proud Cam is of us. He loves pushing the stroller and getting out of the house with us. And the boys absolutely adore him. 

And then Cam went back to school. The next few days were a little rough. The boys had become accustomed to being played with constantly. Cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles. They were pretty spoiled. Then, they had a few days with Dad and me. And then it was just me. There was an adjustment period for sure. At the same time, Nash figured out how to MOVE. And quickly. He ate a bunch of dirt out of my clementine tree and got a nasty stomach bug from that for the next week. Poor guy.

The second day of the trimester went a lot better. There was a massive Texas rainstorm right after breakfast. The boys were in their highchairs when it hit and were whipping their heads back and forth so fast trying to figure out what all the sounds were. Not scared at all, just completely curious. I live for their curiosity. I love watching them discover all the new things in this world.

In the days of trying to figure out how to entertain these yahoos, we discovered the window behind the couch. They love standing up against the couch cushions. I pull the blinds up so they can see out the window and they play "king of the blinds string." I love watching them interact with each other. This game gets pretty intense. So fun!

For the first family night of the year, we make new years' resolution posters. These hang in the bathroom all year. Cameron and I have done it every year since we got married and I did it all growing up with my family. This year, the boys got to participate. Their goals make me so happy. I love that they are a part of our family and I am a firm believer in starting habits as early as possible. They are also a good reminder to me of the things I want to be teaching them this year.

I love their little bums. They are getting so big and strong!

We went through all the clothes [again] and got things organized for this next stage of their lives. After hanging up all their dress shirts it hit me just how lucky I am to have all these little details of little men all through our house. It makes me so happy to see their little orange shoes in our shoe basket by the door, or their toys in our bathroom, or their sippy cups and bottles in our cup cupboard. They live here. In my house. They are mine. I think that is so cool.

We are learning how to share more and more. I guarantee you Gray will start caring when Nash takes the toy he is playing with, but for now he is easy going. I try to teach Nash to find a different toy when he wants the one that Granger is playing with. And surprisingly it's pretty easy right now. They are both such happy boys!

Beautiful blue eyed boys. We still love going to Costco. The lights and sounds and colors are so fun. And the double seated carts are life changing. I hate going to the regular grocery store because we look like a circus act trying to fit everyone either in the cart or strapped to me in a carrier of some kind.

They are so well behaved. They are so fun. They get into messes, but oh they are loved. They are both ticklish and I nibble on their necks all the time. Their giggles are addicting. I couldn't live without these boys. Them and their dad. They are my world. And it is such a beautiful world.

Selfish

We just got back from Christmas break. It was a faith-building experience, and I mean that completely seriously. Oh how grateful I was for sleeping babies on that red-eye flight, the product of priesthood blessings given earlier that day. Four sick, tired, Calls. And we made it home.

Earlier in the week, though, I got to spend some wonderful time with our family. Emilee, Kiara, Amber, Jared, Wayne, Adrienne, Adam, Sam and all the kiddos. And something I cherish with each of these beautiful people is the thoughtful conversation that just seems to happen. In-laws, whatever. These people are my friends. They are my family. No strings attached.

I had the chance to put together a couple cute blogs and re-designs for Emilee, Kiara and Wayne while I was out there and not working on other projects. And it dug up some good thoughtful conversation on things I hadn't really given a lot of brain power to before. We were setting up Wayne's blog. He's currently fighting cancer right now and doing a heck of a good job of it. I designed a blog for him to tell his story. Because it needs to be told. And we were talking about linking it up to Facebook and why you would or would not do something like that. And Emilee said something that hit me:

"I'm a selfish blogger, so I don't link mine up. My blog is for me. I blog to record our story."

Wayne is blogging to tell his story and to hopefully connect with other people and get support and give support. When I was going through infertility, I wanted to connect with other people. I wanted to get our story out there and hopefully cure some of the ignorance that surrounds infertility. I wanted, needed support. I gained so much strength in that period of my life from sharing our story. And oh, I made some awesome friends.

But, my purpose has really changed. I have been compiling yearbooks for our family. I'm recording our family history. And I love it. The posts about what we did, our memories, etc. They mean the world to me. Our pictures. Our family. That's what I want. That's what I need to record.

So, I'm taking a leaf out of Emilee's book and getting selfish this year. (and hopefully for years to come.) My purpose to blog is to record our family history. And it won't be linked up anywhere anymore. I'm blogging for us. For my family. We are far, far away from our relatives. Grandparents and aunts and uncles and close friends want to know what we're up to. Blogging is the best way I know to update everyone and keep a record at the same time.

Because our life is beautiful. 

I will record it for us.