First Haircut

Hyrum had his first hair cut today! I was super hesitant about getting it done because I kind of love his hair, but it needed a little trim. The hairdresser didn't take much off, mostly just cleaned it up. He was kind of wiggly, so she did the best she could. I ended up doing a few snips of my own after we got home because there was some that got missed being that it was too wet and stuck to his head. I already miss his little wisps and parting his hair to the side. He's growing up.

 Before

After

Camilla got a trim too! Her hair was half way down her back and was starting to look frizzy at the bottom. It needed a trim, so we evened it out and took off all the dead ends. I wish I had grabbed a picture of the length before we got it chopped. That was almost two full years of growing! Now she has an adorable, flippy-outty bob going on. She is so darling and so so grown up!

Before

After

The Perfect Pillow

This morning started out unlike our other mornings this week. When I woke up with Hyrum I wasn't feeling very good so I tried to catch a few more minutes of sleep on the couch while Mr. Stannix got ready for work. After Daddy left for the bus, Hyrum and I enjoyed a bowl of porridge. Camilla still hadn't come downstairs yet. A part of me was worried that she was sleeping so long!  Finally, just before 8:30 am she greeted me with her "good morning" at the bottom of the stairs. We all took our time getting dressed and I cleaned the upstairs bed rooms. We spent the rest of our morning watching a Disney movie and snacking on apples and cinnamon. It must be Friday. 

I had to giggle when Hyrum came over and used my baby bump for a pillow. I love that little boy and his snuggles. Lately in the afternoons he will curl up on the couch with me and just cuddle until we both fall asleep. Those moments are so special to me. He's going to be such a great big brother. I am already 20 weeks, which is the halfway mark. A part of me is glad time is going by so fast, because I can't wait to meet this new little one!

Making Motherhood a Joy

I am crazy in love with my blue eyed little girl. She brings so much joy to this family! It's so hard to believe that she is going to be three next month. I still remember bringing her home from the hospital and being so excited that she was mine. She's been a pretty easy girl to mother. I feel so blessed to call her mine. I love the things she says. I love how she says, "thanks Mamma, that was delicious!" after almost every meal. I love when she puckers up her cute pink lips for a smooch. I love the games we play before bed. I love when she crawls up on my lap in a quiet moment and rests her blonde little head on my shoulder for a snuggle. I love her every little grin, and her cute button nose. I love her gentle hands and petite little body. I love her excitement for life and her desire to try everything. I love when she reminds me to read my scriptures so that I can be "a good Mamma". She is like a little adult trapped in a two year old body, so wise and mature at times. Just typing this post brought tears to my eyes. It's so hard to describe the overwhelming love one can have for a child. I read a talk the other day that suggested four things to do for our children which were to love them, teach them, respect them, pray with them and for them. It just simplified everything about motherhood. As I've remembered these four things our days have been so bright and full of joy. I am grateful for the power of sincere prayer, and the help Heavenly Father sends each day when we ask for it, even if it's silly things relating to Motherhood. He's always there. I love Camilla and the way she makes Motherhood such a joy each day.

Melting in the Sun

Yesterday was a beautiful summer day. I gave Camilla the choice of going to the spray park, or walking to the corner store for a popsicle and she picked the popsicle. Hyrum heard the words "let's go" and excitedly ran and got his shoes. He LOVES to be outside and is constantly bringing me his shoes to put on. 

I basically opened the wrappers and handed them over to the kiddos. I could share with Hyrum as long as it stayed in his hand. I smiled as I watched them slowly follow me home, savoring their cold, juicy popsicles. Hyrum would stop every few steps to examine random bugs or touch the grass and flowers as he passed by. Camilla took on the role of protector and walked beside her little brother the whole way home, making sure he held her hand as we all crossed the street together.

I was glad he could walk on his own, because the sun quickly melted his popsicle and he was pretty sticky. He thought it was the best thing in the world. I loved seeing him slowly make his way down the sidewalk with his ball cap and big blue eyes. He is all boy, and I love it!

 

When we got home we hung out on the front step until all popsicles were finished. I ended up eating most of Hyrum's because his little hand was so cold from holding it. The closer Camilla gets to three the more and more grown up she is getting. She is so independent and helpful and tries really hard to be a good example and friend for her little brother. I was filled with joy as I watched them hang out on the front step together. They are such great little friends. What a blessing it is to have siblings to share these things with! It's so fun to build memories on these warm summer days!

Four Years and Counting

Four years ago today I married my best friend. We've accomplished so much together already. Two kids (and one on the way), a University degree, a career on the go and a home filled with love and laughter (to name a few). He surprised me today with beautiful flowers delivered to our doorstep while he was at work. Am I lucky or what?! I can't believe another year has already gone by! Time flies when you're having fun!

Happy anniversary Mr. Stannix.

Baby to Be

I have been looking forward to this day since I booked baby's ultrasound appointment last month. Lucky for me June has gone by super quick! I filled my morning up with lots of things to make it go by quick. In the afternoon I dropped the kids off at a good friend's place and picked up Mike on my way to the ultrasound. We got there just on time. The cool part was that Mike got to come in for the entire time and watch the tech take all the pictures. After that was all done she showed us the baby. It was fun to watch it's hand brush against it's cute little round face and to see the heart beating. She showed us the arms, legs and hands. Even in a third pregnancy it's just as exciting as the first. 

We then went to pick up the kids and enjoy dinner with our friends. Camilla and Hyrum hung out in the rain. I loved seeing their wet footprints on the back mat before they came in. Camilla soaked her hair in a puddle that had formed on one of the chairs outside and told me she washed her hair and that it smelled like rain. I get a kick outta that kid! Then it was time to come home for baths and bed. After I had gotten the kids in the bath I couldn't wait any longer to see the ultrasound pictures. When I looked at the one picture that we got, it didn't at all resemble the cute, round faced baby that we saw dancing around on the screen earlier. We'll call it a bad angle. I was a little disappointed and may have cried. It's hard when you anticipate something for so long and then find the outcome wasn't quite what you were expecting. Mike gave me lots of hugs and reminded me that we have a healthy baby and the picture doesn't matter. Anyways, here's the one shot we got of sweet baby number three with it's hand by it's face.

As I snuggled Hyrum in the big green chair and mulled over how I was feeling the song "Count Your Many Blessings" popped into my head and I got all weepy again. I thought about how blessed I've been to have a strong body and three healthy pregnancies. Then baby started kicking and I was reminded of how much I already love this little one and can't wait to meet him or her! I love feeling every kick and turn as baby grows. This is definitely one of my favorite stages of pregnancy. As I peeked in the upstairs room at my two little monkey's sleeping I just felt so grateful for everything I've been given. Two healthy children who are growing and changing daily and another on the way. I couldn't ask for anything more!

As I type baby is kicking and turning. It's so exciting to feel those movements. Now I think I'm going to take the night off and crochet another baby hat! Having a November baby is so exciting! 

Old School Sunday

While I was at home last week I made up a few bow ties for the little mister.
I must say he looked very debonair today.

Go Team

Tonight we watched Uncle Andrew play some football here in the city! It was fun for the kids to go check out the stadium and see what the game was all about. They were pretty pumped to get a stick of bubbles and a football at the entrance.

 Uncle Andrew got to quarter back, he's crouched behind the line of guys waiting for the ball.

The kids had a lot of fun climbing the stairs and walking around in the stands. Camilla even made some friends with a few girls at the top. But by the time the third quarter rolled around, this was Hyrum's take on the game...

 I giggled as I watched him fall asleep like this. His chubby fingers were so cute pushed against his little cheeks. By the end of the game, it was getting pretty late and the lights were on in the field. The kids did well to hang out that long! We found Uncle Andy and grabbed some more pictures.

 I can't believe how much Camilla looks like her daddy in this one! I think it's her nose and cheeks that does it! We checked out the field for a few minutes and the kiddos posed with their favorite football player.

 I think my favorite part was when we finished taking pictures, Camilla kicked the grass a few times and looked around the field and then asked, "Can I run?" What a cutie. Her and Uncle Andrew ran to the goal post and back and she giggled the whole time. Something about kids and wide open spaces.

We got home and discovered we had left the balcony door open, screen and all for three hours! I made Mike check for bums downstairs and imagined all the spiders and other things that could have crawled in. Hopefully there won't be too many surprises this week!

In His Arms

My main man is back after almost a week away.

I am so happy.

After the children went to bed last night we went out and snuggled in the hammock.

It was nice to talk, make plans, set goals and especially laugh together.

Eventually we put our hoodies up to keep the mosquitoes away.

When it was time to go inside Mr. Stannix quickly jumped out which left me

lying flat on my back in the grass laughing really hard.

Man, I missed him!

Still Hanging Around

We are still hanging around at the Acreage. One more sleep until Mr. Stannix comes home. I can't wait! Until then we've been filling our days with long walks, outdoor adventures, afternoon naps, throwing rocks in the pond, and enjoying my Mum's homemade rhubarb slush.

Both of the kids were pretty exhausted this evening, so we set up the hammock where the volleyball net usually is and relaxed in the evening sun. The kids enjoyed swinging back and forth with the cool breeze. They looked pretty tuckered out. They've had so much fun here the last couple of days.

Hyrum just about fell asleep after his turn so we made our way to the house to get ready for bed. Hyrum went right to sleep as soon as I put him in the crib! Camilla had some apples and cinnamon and watched Cinderella for some down time.

 I'm looking forward to the possibility of an afternoon nap in the hammock tomorrow with the kiddos. And I am super excited to see Mr. Stannix at dinner! 

Happy Helper

Hyrum was an only child today. Camilla went with Grampa for the day to play while he helped sand a friends cabin. Hyrum quite enjoyed the extra space and was a great little helper. He played a lot with the vacuum and especially loved the on/off switch. Now if only our vacuum at home wasn't so big, he'd be all over that chore for me!

Homefront

Dear Mr. Stannix,

I know you only left last night but I miss you like crazy! I had a lump in my throat after I came in from kissing you good-bye in the rain. I hate when you leave. While you're gone for the week I thought I would keep you posted on our happenings at the Acreage. Waking up to my Mum's homemade pancakes was the highlight of my morning. I smothered four with peanut butter before stacking them and topping them with Mum's homemade syrup. Delish!

We filled up the rest of our day by spending time outside when it wasn't raining.  We walked up to the orchard and Grampa showed us the baby black birds in their cozy little nest in the garden. Hyrum enjoyed walking around and checking out all the trees. Camilla spent most of her time picking dandilions and blowing the fluff off of them.

 When we got back to the house we said hi to the neighbors horses. Camilla fed them some grass and Hyrum stood on the sidelines. The children sure do love being outdoors!

Before afternoon naps we hung out in the garden with Grampa. Camilla has a super good memory and remembered planting beans with Gramma last time we visited. It was neat for her to see how they've grown up! She was so excited. Hyrum had a blast helping Grampa weed and checking out the veggies. He learned to step over the potatoes, but he almost squashed Gramma's carrots.

Everytime I would try to bring him inside he would protest. If he could have it his way he would stay outside all day. The fresh air has been so good for him! He was super tired when I put him to bed tonight!

 Thanks for bringing me home! You're the best.

Father's are so Special

 Usually around the end of the afternoon dinner is simmering on the stove and we've run out of things to do for the day. We hang out in the living room and listen for city buses to speed down our street.  They make a kind of high pitched humming noise as they near our house. We do this so often that even Hyrum knows the sound. When he hears a bus go by he looks up from what he is doing and screeches, "DAAA!" (Dad). If we see a bus heading South we guess that it might be Daddy's bus and gather on the big purple couch. Sometimes I don't know who's more excited, me or them? The children climb up the back and stand in the big window staring eagerly at the bushes waiting for Daddy to come down the sidewalk and appear. He always looks so handsome in his dress shirt and tie with his shoulder bag. As soon as they see him they wave, screech, blow kisses and giggle excitedly. When the door clicks and opens up, they run into their Daddy's arms for hugs and kisses. If you ever want to know what the phrase "squeal with delight" means just listen to Hyrum when his Daddy walks in the door after work.

It is the highlight of my day to see the smile on my dear husband's face as he smooches and hugs our children after a long day of work. If he sits on the couch for a quick rest, it's not long before he's surrounded by little people climbing and smooching on him. I love seeing him snuggle and kiss his little boy, showing him the kind of Father he should one day be. I am so glad I married a man who is such an amazing father. He works hard each day to provide for us. He is adored by his children and loved like crazy by me!

Happy Father's Day darling!

Some Happenings

Yesterday was a busy day. I made breakfast, mowed the lawn, weeded a flower bed, scrubbed the kitchen floor (including under my fridge), vacuumed, washed and folded two loads of laundry, played with the kiddos all afternoon, made dinner, and started my meal plan for the rest of this month. Playing with the kids was so much fun! Hyrum likes to be chased and he likes to be the 'finder' in hide and seek (mostly he just likes when you jump out and scare him). He loves when I get down to floor level and play around with him. His laughs yesterday were to die for as he ran screeching around our living room. He spent most of the day in just his diaper as he protested getting dressed. Camilla took off her clothes before eating Gramma's canned raspberries in the afternoon and never did want to put them back on again. Mr. Stannix came home to naked, raspberry faced, crazy haired kids. But they were happy!

After Mr. Stannix finished his CASB I gave him a hair cut. Then we ended the evening by snuggling up on the couch enjoying popcorn and homemade butter beer (don't worry, it's just milk, sugar, vanilla and butter). I admit, we started our evening together super late, but this new TV series we started is just so darn addicting! Honestly, we hardly even touched the popcorn because we were so hooked. 

We ventured out to Wal-mart this morning for some fresh fruit and other odds and ends and have spent the rest of the day relaxing at home. I got the bathroom cleaned while Hyrum napped and it feels good to have that done! My kitchen is sparkly clean and dinner is simmering in the slow cooker. It's been nice to have this boost of energy the passed couple of days. My house finally looks normal again, minus the shoes I keep finding everywhere. Every time we leave the house it takes me ten minutes to locate my second shoe. Hyrum's newest fetish is walking around the house with one shoe on whether it's Daddy's work shoe, my flip flop, my runners, or something of Camilla's. It's cute watching him cruise around with a shoe ten sizes too big! His new favorite hiding place is between the big chair and my piano. Whenever I call him for a bum change he always runs there to hide for a while and then peeks out at me with a grin from ear to ear. I love that kid.

I am loving being in the second trimester of this pregnancy. My energy levels have returned to normal and I'm feeling baby move around which is comforting. We went to the doctor's on Wednesday and heard the little heart beat. It took her a while to find it. I might have been worried except baby did a few hard kicks when the doctor was poking the doppler around.  I asked her what the heart rate was before we left and it was 144bpm. A girl perhaps? We're not finding out with this one, so it will be a fun guessing game!

Land of Pretend

There's a few things I've been wanting to record about Camilla before I forget them. A few weeks ago we went grocery shopping. Camilla got her quarter and we hit up the candy machine on our way in. That quarter gave her a whole 10 jelly beans and she spent the rest of the time matching the colors to things in the store. "Look, Mum, this one matches the lettuce, it's green!" "Look! This one is the same as the oranges!". That girls excitement and zest for life is definitely contagious. When we finished at the check out she told the lady, "Bye! See you next time!" and then spun on her heels and skipped towards the door. I love that kid.

Also a couple of weeks ago our car started acting up, and we figured it was time to get it checked out. We took it to an awesome little shop that does a cheap diagnosis. The wait became long, and there wasn't much to do in the tiny shop, so we went for a walk across the parking lot to A&W. While Hyrum and I stood in line, I sent Camilla to pick a table. I couldn't see her tiny body over the divider in the middle of the restaurant, but I knew she was up to something from the big smiles on the faces of the Chinese couple sitting a few tables down. When I went over with our order of fries she proudly exclaimed that she had gotten Hyrum a chair! My tiny little girl pushed a highchair across the restaurant and carefully set it at the end of the table for her little brother. I couldn't get over how thoughtful she had been! She never ceases to amaze me!

Today we escaped to the land of pretend where we found robots, cowboys and teddy bear picnics. It was a fun filled afternoon! It's amazing how a simple box can keep a kid entertained. I love that she has an imagination and is able to play pretend. Her and her little brother had a lot of fun together today. When it was picnic time I had to keep Hyrum occupied while she found plates and made "food" for everyone. She's such a thoughtful little hostess. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
 

Peanut Butter Toast

Breakfast - 7:35 AM

 Guess who's happy to have a third bottom tooth?

Summer Afternoons

Yesterday we woke up to cloudy skies and a bit of rain. I dubbed it a house cleaning day and my sister and I made two batches of bread. By the time the afternoon rolled around the clouds had pretty much rolled out. Spontaneity overtook us and we loaded up the kids and went to the Legislature grounds. It was beautiful! Auntie Emma brought her fancy camera and snapped a few pictures of the kiddos. I love the way their baby blues stick out! It was fun touring around the grounds and hardly anyone was there.  When we finally made it to the water, Hyrum was so excited to dip his feet in with his sister. They are growing up so fast!

  Hyrum and Camilla both had a blast in the pools and didn't want to leave. We all came home with nice rosy cheeks and a bit of a tan. It was sure nice to catch some sunshine for the afternoon! I am looking forward to many more visits to the wading pools over the summer!

Morning Shenanigans

Hyrum woke up this morning and turned his boyish ways on full force. After realizing all was too quiet I found him in the bathroom playing in the toilet. He had thrown two baby washcloths in the toilet and was dipping the full roll of toilet paper in the water. I flushed it quick to get him out of the grossness, but I only managed to save one washcloth. The soggy  roll of toilet paper went right into the garbage and I washed his little hands. I released him into the hallway, scrubbed my hands super good, and debated what to do about the second washcloth. As I left the bathroom he had pulled out a jug of oil and was playing with it on the living room floor. Seriously, seconds later! I had to laugh as I put the lid back on the oil and secured the cupboard door with the elastic band.

Anyone want to venture a guess as to how long it will take for the washcloth to either make it through or completely plug our toilet? I called my Dad to inquire, and while I was on the phone Hyrum started peeking into the garbage to see what he could get his hands on. We had a good laugh. Other activities of the day so far include pulling cords out of the back of the TV and trying to put them back in, throwing toys and fridge magnets into the garbage, sneaking into my cupboards, climbing on things he shouldn't, and teasing his sister.

The quietest part of the whole morning was when it was time for his morning nap. We went up to the children's darkened bed room and he laid across my lap while he drank his bottle. He ran his fingers through his hair and he could hardly keep his eyes open. I drew on his face with my fingers, across his forehead, around his eyes, and down his tiny nose. By the time he finished his bottle he couldn't even keep his eyes open. I snuggled him into his crib with Julius and his fuzzy blanket. He must have had a busy morning or something...

The Cookie Theif

After pancakes and a quick shower, my morning started out with Hyrum running to me for safety with his sister close behind yelling, "Give me back my cookie!!".  His little hands grab my leg and hold on tight as he rests his head on my lap. Sure enough as I lift his right hand, I see a half eaten peanut butter cookie.  I give her back the slightly drooled on half a cookie. She said I could give it back to Hyrum to finish and then found some toys to play with. It totally cracked me up!

Our afternoon was filled with mowing the lawn and playing outside. Just before Daddy came home we turned on some music and had a dance party in the living room.  I tickled Hyrum and loved hearing his belly laugh, then he attacked me and started blowing raspberries on my cheek. Camilla and I held hands and danced really silly which made her laugh really hard! It was a great way to finish up the afternoon.

Doesn't Roll Like it Should

How you can tell you have a child who's potty trained...