Night, Night

Tonight I had all my boys around me, and it was good. I did not rush bed time, and we enjoyed each others' company.

Isaac and Titus wrestled on the bed. Honestly. Titus can wrestle, and he's got skill no other 10 month old has! After wrestling he laid down beside me and rested his head on my lap. Eli and I read "Firefighters to the Rescue!" and "10 Apple Up On Top." He looked and looked at the bear in "10 Apples," and after 5 minutes proceeded to throw all the books behind the headboard (I'll get them tomorrow). Me and Isaac sang songs, practiced hand motions to Itsy Bitsy Spider and came up with new verses to that song. Here are two of my favorites:

• "This itsy bitsy spider climbed up a willow tree, Down came the rain and set the spider free"
• "The itsy bitsy spider went to Jesus Christ who had a itchy back"

I sang to each of my boys "You Are My Sunshine," putting in their name with each rendition. I got teary as I sang, watching these little one running around and "settling down" for the evening (throwing diapers down the stairs, pushing buttons on the cd player, getting out the baby monitor... you know, the usual night time routine).

"Oh!" my heart ached: "These boys truly to make me happy when skies are grey, and they will never know how much I love them."

............................

I love calm, non-rushed bedtimes. Giving our family these quite, simple evenings is a new goal of mine. But I must be the one who takes the time to let this happen! I cherish my quiet time at night, but that personal quite time should not come at the expense of these precious family moments.

A Birthday Boy

Eli is two. TWO!

He was born on a Monday, a very cold Monday in Salt Lake City at 1:25 in the afternoon. I only had to push once, and if Matt and the Doctor hadn't hurried they probably would have missed the experience! (Both were on lunch break.)

Eli was 7 pounds 6 ounces, and 20 inches long.

I was able to hold Eli a few seconds before he was handed off to University of Utah NICU. About an hour later the Primary Childrens Medical Center Life Flight Team came and brought him by for 10 minutes. There I was able to hold him some more, and Isaac whispered: "Bebe E-i."

Matt looking at me holding Eli for the first time

Eli being passed through a window in the delivery room to NICU

Me, weeping after Eli is taken to the NICU

Eli stopping by before being taken to Primary Childrens

First picture of our family of four

Matt followed the Flight Team to Primary Childrens, and I was moved to a recovery. A snow storm started. We spent most of our day with Eli in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Both sets of his grandparents were able to be there with him. Oh, and aunts too!

That night around 9pm I sneaked out of my room in University of Utah hospital, and by myself went and spent more time with Eli in the PICU. I held him, and cried a little bit. He was so beautiful, and so sweet. I would have given anything for him to be healthy and whole, but I tried to cherish every little moment.

And for 4 days, that is just what we did. (His heart surgery was at 5 days old.)

Eli, on his birthday

3 days old

Happy Birthday, Eli Bud! We love you so much!

You've come a long way in the last two years,

but try to keep yourself in one piece till at least adulthood...

Flaxen Hair

flaxen hair: resembling flax especially in pale soft strawy color.

Titus, a few days from being 10 months old.

Things of Note

Within this week:

• Isaac has started to say "Eli," instead of "E-i."
• Isaac wrote an "I" and some "O"s all by himself.
• Eli has started wearing size 6 diapers. (He's short, but has a wide bottom!)
• Titus has had two top teeth come through. Like a vampire! So nothing in the front, but two on the side.
• All three boys have started sleeping in the same room together.

We are pretty excited about all of these developments! But also...

... We MOVED! Yup, yup. So HAPPY! We are with the in-laws for a bit, just for the summer. But I'll be heading back to Bama with the boys from the end of May till beginning of August, anyway. Matt's staying here to get more schooling in and do the ROTC Leadership Development Assessment Course in Washington state.

Why am I so happy to move? I hated the apartment we were in. Pretty sure I lost my mind a few times. It smelled. The dryer didn't work, so we had to let all of our clothes air dry. The neighbors were... um... special. They had great hearts, but I didn't like all the swearing and yelling. And I'm not a fan of all the cigarette smoke that my boys were exposed to. BUT THE WORST PART?! Being on the third story. So horrible!

Being in this house has been great.

See? Tree climbing and naked playing!! That's all I have wanted for our boys, to play naked!

The two little boys have been sick this past week, but are starting to feel better.

And who doesn't love Oreos?

And our plan? After I come back from Bama we are going to find our own place again. (Still in Boise, Matt graduates in May of 2012.) It's been difficult to figure out loans... that's why we are all over the place for the summer. Things are starting to fall in line though, so no worries! We won't be on the street anytime soon!

Workin' Out Grown Ups

Two weeks ago I walk into the house, and the living room is picked up. Sigh of relief! It was a Tuesday, and I hate Tuesdays. Lots of running around by myself with the kids (preschool, play-dates, and leading Activity Days alone). The house is never, EVER picked up this day, and most of the time the kids have cereal and granola bars for dinner.

Matt had come for an hour and took some time to show he loves me. And I felt loved! He is a BUSY man. You should see his calendar. Every minute of the day has something planned.

I took a second, and sat down at the laptop.

When I opened it, I saw a word document with this picture:

With a message about how much he appreciates how much I do and how much he loves me.

I laughed hysterically!! This man is crazy.

.........................

This year Matt and I have been trying to take fitness more seriously. And I think it has paid off. I mean, look at his muscles! (I give you permission to do so.)

In Matt's last Physical Training Test (PT test) for the ROTC, he scored a 290!! (The best since basic training, which his score was like 320.) It's out of 300, and there are 3 categories, which can get a maximum score of 100... Or more if one gets the maximum points in each category. (He is in the 27 to 31 age bracket.)

2 mile run: 13:55

Push ups in 2 minutes: 84

Sit ups in 2 minutes: 80

And me? My goal at the beginning of the year was to do a 70 second flexed arm hang. And... I DID IT! Last Saturday I was able to do one for 73 seconds. Pretty cool. What is a flexed arm hang? One holds herself up on a pull up bar for as long as possible. Two weeks after Titus was born I hung for half a second! AHH! At the beginning of this year I was able to go for 30 seconds. The Marine Corps uses the flexed arm hang to test their women's strength... and 70 seconds is the maximum.

One work out regiment that has really helped me and Matt is a pull up pyramid.

• Start with 1 pull up. (I do negative pull ups. Jump up to the bar, and slowly let myself down.) Then 2 push ups, and then 3 sit ups.
• 2 pull ups, 4 push ups, 6 sit ups.
• 3 pull ups, 6 push ups, 9 sit ups.
• 4 pull ups, 8 push ups, 12 sit ups.
• 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 sit ups.
• 6 pull ups, 12 push ups, 18 sit ups.
• THEN GO DOWN
• 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 sit ups.
• 4 pull ups, 8 push ups, 12 sit ups.
• 3 pull ups, 6 push ups, 9 sit ups.
• 2 pull ups, 4 push ups, 6 sit ups.
• 1 pull up, 2 push ups, 3 sit ups.

This has been great. We started in the beginning of December, and really prepared us for all the other fitness things we wanted to do. Matt will take the pyramid up to 7, and do the push ups times 4 instead of 2. This really helped me with P90x. Yup, that's an amazing work out program. I've been pretty good about it, expect for the last two weeks! I hurt myself on a longer run, and it has taken a bit to get back on the horse.

Anyway, P90X is hard. But honestly the hardest part is the yoga... Which I have learned to love! Yoga is awesome! But I did cry the first time I did it. Matt does P90X sometimes with me (when he is home), and last night was his first time with yoga. 2 minutes into it he said, "Wow, yoga is hard." And later he yelled "Screw you, Tony Horton!" But he'll get better as time goes on.

Anyway, if anybody is interested in starting P90X please get in touch with me!

August 2010 thru March 2011

Titus loves to have Matt's acoustic guitar on the ground, and then bang out harmonics. He also tries to climb on it, and he freaks out when he is half way up.
March 2011

Eli loves to take baths. During these baths he gets out and in the tub a few times. We often see his naked bum zooming down the hall, back and forth from tub to living room.
February 2011

Eli is our Italian mama. He loves to yell after his brothers,"Is-ia!" and "Ti-yaus!"
February 2011

Isaac asks me if he can buy a new helicopter. I say, "Well, we don't have any money right now." He says, "We can buy some money!"
February 2011

Anytime Titus hears clapping from the television, he happily starts to clap!
February 2011

Isaac says, "Mom, you need to tell Daddy to be nice to me, then give him a spanking."
February 2011

We have the missionaries over for dinner. We are all gathered around the table, Matt is holding Eli, and is saying the blessing on the food. Eli lets out 3 or 4 loud toots. He laughs hysterically.
January 2011

Eli wakes up during the middle of the night, and Matt looks after him. Matt gives him a drink, and starts changing his diaper. As soon as the dirty diaper comes off, Eli lets out a nice big toot. He laughs sleepily, and goes back to sleep.

January 2011

Isaac is not happy about the pjs picked out for him. He says, "I don't like these. They are serious."
January 2011

I'm cutting Isaac's finger nails. He says, "Mom that hurt my figure nails... but not my weenie!"
January 2011

Isaac wasn't feeling well, so Matt laid him on the couch to rest, and turned on the TV to a news program. After a few minutes, Isaac says to me, "Mom, I don't like this word show. I like my show."
January 2011

Isaac, whining about having a runny nose: "My boogers won't stay in my nose."
January 2011

Isaac is jumping on our bed, showing me all his sweet jumping moves. After 3 seat drops in a row, he says, "It's pretty easy."
"It is?" I say.
"Yeah," he responds, "it is easy like pooping."
January 8, 2011

Eli loves to pray. Or the act of praying. He folds his arms at the beginning of every meal without being prompted. BUT whenever he sees someone fold his/her arms, just to stand and relax, he insists on having a prayer. With arms folded, he'll screech at the person till a prayer is given. This also happens during meals. There are times when we have 3 prayers on the food during one meal!
January 2011

I lay Titus on the couch beside Matt and head to the kitchen. A minute later I hear a little *thump,* but hearing no screaming, I think nothing of it. 10 seconds pass, then Matt exclaims, "Titus, how did you end up on the floor?!"
December 2010

We pull up to a grocery store to quickly pick something up. I get out, and Matt says that he will stay in the van with the boys. We hear Isaac say to his brother, "K, Eli, don't cry this time."
December 2010

Matt and Isaac are walking down the apartment stairs.
Matt, "Isaac, you need to go faster, bud."
Isaac, "No, Dad you need to go slower."
Matt, "No Isaac, you need to go faster."
Isaac, "I can't go faster, I have smaller feet!"
December 2010

Isaac is drinking a cold glass of orange juice. He comments, "Mom, this orange juice is hot and smooth."
December 2010

It is early in the morning. Isaac walks out of his room and the first thing he says to me is, "My tummy hurts, I think a show would make it feel better."
December 2010

Eli is very whinny. Obviously he wanted a snack. But he did just want any plan old snack. Dill pickles with a side of cheddar cheese? Sure!
November 2010

Titus is on smily child. However it is Isaac that makes him crack up! If Isaac makes a silly face and shouts weird noises, Titus will die of laughter.
November 2010

When Isaac wants to know where something goes (to be put away, etc.), he asks where it lives. For instance, "Where do these colors live?" of "Does this shoe live here?"
Fall 2010

When Eli shakes his head "yes," it is a very quick movement. Almost like head banging!
November 2010

"Isaac, did you finish your quesadilla?" I ask.
Isaac, "No, it have a hair on it from Monsters, Inc."
November 22, 2010

Eli has figured out how to push pee out. When naked he looks down, smiles, and pushing will all his might to get any little drops out. He feels very accomplished.
Fall 2010

"Mom!" yells Isaac, "I need some toilet paper!"
I walk in the bathroom and hand Isaac the toilet paper. Isaac looks at me, while sitting on the pot, and says, "Mom, I have a MASSIVE poop!"
November 2010

Isaac is drinking some whole milk and says, "Mom, I don't like this. It tastes like butter."
November 2010

I'm explaining to Isaac what a great-grandmother is. I say, "She is my grandma, or Grammie's mother. You haven't seen her in a long time."
"Oh," says Isaac, "I not see her before, hey! Have you seen gummy worms? I like the green ones. They're very good."
October 2010

When Isaac is excited about something, like playing football or dancing to Matt's guitar, he says enthusiastically: "Woot! Woot!"
October 2010

Isaac picked out an amazing pumpkin to carve. He must wait, very anxiously, two days till carving. Right before Matt plunges the knife in the pumpkin, Isaac says in a very soft voice with no inflation and a blank look on his face: "I am very excited."
October 22, 2010

Eli's first word: "Bu-baw" (football). He, Matt and Isaac were playing with the football. He started saying "bu-baw, bu-baw, bu-baw!" Pretty amazing.
October 23, 2010

Titus has started to roll over from back to tummy. Though he's not sure what to do once he's on his tummy. Hmm... scream till I put him on his back side again? The roll over onto his tummy once more? Yup!
October 22, 2010

Eli is in a goofy mood. He's throwing himself backwards all over the bed. At one point he sits up, on the edge of the bed, smiles--and while I'm charging over the bed (and nursing Titus) to save him--he throws himself backwards off the bed. Hurt, scared, upset crying ensues.
October 2010

Isaac beat boxes. He has many beats, and some are named. There's the "electric guitar" beat box, the "acoustic guitar" beat box, and the "bass guitar with a head" beat box. Sometimes they are mixed, and given the name. "I do a-coustic guitar whid bass guitar beat box!"
Fall 2010

We are in the car, on our way back home, in the middle of the city.
Isaac says, "Mom, I need to go pee."
Me, "Can you wait till we get home?"
Isaac, "How bout I pee on some of these trees?"
Me, "No can't do that. Do you want people to see your bum?"
Isaac, "Oh. When we get home I can pee on our tree! Does that sound like a good idea?"
October 2010

Eli loves to sit with and on people. Like on his 3 month old brother laying on the floor, or on his daddy's head when he's trying to take a nap. Eli also likes to share his love by biting. The small of my back, for instance, and Titus' fingers if I don't watch closely enough.
September 2010

I am reading a book to Isaac all about jet-fighter planes. At the end of a long paragraph explaining a how the Harrier fighter plane takes off without a runway, he says, "Hum, that's very interesting."
September 2010

Isaac is using the bathroom in a public restroom, which has automatically flushing toilets. By the time the toilet has automatically flushed three times on him, while sitting doing his business, Isaac has had it! He says, very frustrated like, "Stop doing that! I hate you!"
September 2010

When Eli is mad at us because we either A) tell him "No," or B) ignore him too long, he "runs" to his room, screaming the whole time, and stands behind his crib, still screaming.
September 2010

Isaac is wondering what his cousins' daddy looks like. I say, "Well he has dark hair."
"Oh," Isaac replies, "my daddy has owie hair."
August 2010

We 5 Babies

I've been wanting to do this post for a long time! Are you ready?!

Here it goes:

Compare all 5 of us when we were babies, and see the similarities and differences.

First is Matt. Circa 1983-84 (birth year 1983).

He was a pretty baby, wasn't he? I'm pretty sure he won a "most beautiful baby contest"! Big, beautiful eyes, and long eyelashes. Don't know how old he was in these, but between 4 to 6 months seems like a good range.

And was he a hard baby? According to his mama, yes! (He's also the first child of 4.)

Second, it is I, Shannon! Circa 1986 (birth year 1985).

Feel free to laugh at the wildness! Oh, my hair! Too many calics... My nick name was "Cindy Lou Who," because of the abnormally large eyes. Again, I don't know my ages in these pictures. But 4 to 7 months seems about right.

And was I a hard baby? According to my mama, yes! (I'm also the first child of 3.)

Third is our big boy Isaac. Circa 2007 (birth year 2006).

Look at this little man! So much energy and spunk. The ages in these are: 6 months in the black and white photo, and 9 months in the outdoor one. His hair was absolutely crazy! And that chin of his... wow! He still makes these two faces.

And was he a hard baby? Nope, not really. Just regular new born and baby stuff. He really was a good baby.

Fourth is Mr. Eli. Circa 2009-10 (birth year 2009).

This little boy was so swollen at 6 months old (first picture)! He'd gotten his Glenn Shunt (open heart surgery) at four months, which rerouted his blood flow. It took a bit for his body to get used to the extra pressure. And the second picture is at 9 months old. He is our chunkiest baby, by far!

And was he a hard baby? Loaded question. Not feeling well (heart stuff), made him a bit (VERY) whinny. But because of the heart issues, I didn't really mind or take notice... too much.

And last, but not least, is Titus! Circa 2010-11 (birth year 2010).

Such a little squirt! But don't let that fool you. As soon as he figured out how to move and be mobile on his own, he's been off! Wiggly and squirmy. Always looking for something to get into. The first picture is at 6 months old (Christmas), and this other picture is 8 months old.

And was he a hard baby? YES-ish! Well, at least the first 3 or 4 months all he did was CRY! (Gas pain, you know.) Besides the gas, pretty chill.

And here are some extra pictures of the boys. They are too cute to NOT share!

(Left to right: Titus, 7 months; Eli, 10 months; Isaac, 9 months.)

So that is us! What did you think?

I see Titus and Matt being very similar. The other two boys being a good mix... but that is just my opinion. And do the boys look alike? Umm... yes? Well, yeah, but still very different.