A Hot Summer Day

Yesterday afternoon brought this.

There's something about a naked baby wrapped in a blanket that is just so sweet. 

Especially when they wake up from an afternoon nap full of smiles.

I am in love with his soft skin and his little arm rolls.

When Daddy Comes Home

We're so glad when Daddy comes home!

Five O'Clock in the afternoon is an exciting time in the Stannix home. We watch for Daddy's bus from the couch in the livingroom. We blow Daddy kisses as he comes up the walk. Camilla runs to the door excitedly and greets Daddy with hugs and kisses. I get to smooch Mr. Stannix after his long day of work, and he pulls me in close for a tight squeeze. Then, Daddy usually has tickle/cuddle sessions with the kiddos. Hyrum was so happy to see his Daddy yesterday that he couldn't stop smiling. I'm so glad my children have a Daddy like Mr. Stannix.

Yesterday around dinner time, our friend noticed that Camilla's left leg was swollen, tight and hot below the knee. She had been complaining a bit about it all day, but I thought it was just the bug bite below the knee. I bathed her before bed, hoping it would help the swelling. She went to bed okay, but I was worried. I called Health Link at 11:00PM after examining her swollen, hot leg and chubby swollen feet. The nurse on the phone said I needed to be upstairs with Camilla while I answered questions. I was worried I would wake up Hyrum in the process, so I brought up a flashlight so I could see Camilla. She was still sort of awake when I went up. While I checked out her leg and talked with the nurse, Camilla and I made shadow puppets on the wall of her bedroom.

It kept her occupied while I finished up on the phone. She was super cute. The nurse kept hearing her talking and said to me a few times how sweet her voice is. After a half hour conversation, I was told not to worry and it was probably just a super big reaction to the bug bite she acquired earlier that day. Just as I crawled into bed, the phone rang and it was the nurse again. She said she was just thinking and wondered if the scab under her knee was an infection. I told her it was just a bug bit that had been itched off and thanked her for checking. I was super impressed that she phoned back. I love Health Link.

No Shame

Camilla likes to dig for "Boo-doos" in her nose. 

She makes sure that when she gets a good one she shows us all.

"Look! A Booo-doo!"

Then she likes to wipe it on my pants.

It's pretty gross.

One day I related the story to Mr. Stannix.

We both laughed.

Camilla was listening.

Now, whenever I try to take a picture of her, it turns out like above.

This child of mine has no shame.

Ah, the life of a Mother....

Lunch on the Deck

Finally, a beautiful day!! Camilla was outside on the deck playing at 8:00am this morning. She couldn't wait to get out in the glorious sunshine and play under the blue blue sky. Every time I look at pictures of her, I can't help but think about how fast time is going by! She looks so grown up in all of her summer pictures this year and I'm starting to miss my chubby fingered, toothless little girl! She is oh so much fun though. I love the sweet things she says and I love her imagination!

We ate lunch out on the deck today just to make sure we are soaking up every ounce of sun before the rain comes again. It was a lot of fun to be with the kiddos. We were missing Daddy a lot though! This picture of my kiddos and I is my new favorite! I love being at home and being able to spend time with them all day long. They bring me such joy!

After lunch we went to the park. It was really fun, except that Camilla was tired and it was nap time. We stayed for a good hour, most of which Camilla enjoyed the swings. "Higher Mommy, higher!" is all I heard. After the park we came home for a snack and naps. We enjoyed strawberries and sugar out on the deck. The rays of the sun shining through the leaves and casting a slight shadow on the back deck. The cool breeze made it just perfect!

Camilla is super testing my patience this afternoon. She dumped a whole glass of water on the kitchen floor and then started splashing in it. We had a chat and cleaned it up. Not even five minutes later, her chocolate milk was dumped on the floor, purposely, right in front of me. After that, I decided it was definitely nap time, and we went up and read a story.

The rain filled up all of Camilla's sand buckets to the brim. I think we'll go splash around and play with them when she wakes up! Now that my little boy is asleep, I think I might go close my eyes on the couch for a while!

Rain, Rain Go Away

Today is yet ANOTHER rainy day. I went downstairs this morning to throw in some laundry and noticed our basement floor was soaking wet. If the rain doesn't let up soon, I fear for the safety of our cardboard boxes downstairs! I moved as many as I could to higher ground (on top of chairs/shelves). I can't stand all of the spider webs down there, it gives me the creeps, especially when they get stuck on my face. 

The kiddos and I passed the morning transforming our livingroom into a fort and playing in it! Camilla has enjoyed watching a movie from her fort, eating in her fort, and snuggling her baby. It was so fun! I felt like a kid again. We made awesome forts growing up and my Mum would let us leave them up for days. The one we made today isn't super impressive, but you don't need much to impress an almost-two-year-old. After pictures I added a door to make it dark and cozy inside, and we filled it with pillows and blankets. We will continue to let our imaginations wander this afternoon. Maybe our fort will become a rocket ship and take us to the moon! I'm sure Camilla will come up with something wonderful!

It's big enough for three!!

The munchkins chilling together in the fort

Camilla snuggling her doll!

 Uncle Arland even came by to check it out!
They watched Brother Bear.
(Yes, my kid is picking her nose...)

Look at this handsome boy!!

Enjoy your rainy day!

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day to our favorite Daddy! I knew when I met Mr. Stannix that he would be a wonderful Father. He was amazing with children, and also amazing with older teenagers. He is good at communicating with them and loving them. Now that we have two children of our own I see more of his amazing skills shine through. He is so patient with them both and loves them so much. Almost everynight when we are going to bed he will say, speaking of Camilla, "Man, I love her!" That makes me happy. He is so good at making Camilla laugh and he is the apple of her eye. There is something special about the relationship between Father and Daughter. Hyrum loves his Daddy too and will smile at him all day long. It's cute to watch. 

I am so lucky to have married such an amazing man! He works very hard every day to provide for us and finish his education. Even after a long day at work he will come home and help with the kiddos and almost always does my dishes after dinner. My heart melts when he reads Camilla bedtime stories and I fall more and more in love with him. I am so glad to have such a worthy priesthood holder in my home. He makes me laugh on a daily basis and makes me feel loved.  When he grabs my hand with his strong hand, I can feel safe and warm. He knows exactly what I need almost all the time and is a fabulous listener. He is my best friend!

Thanks for all you do for us Sweetheart! We love you!!

Silly Suzy Goose

Today is yet another rainy day. Camilla doesn't do so well with being stuck inside all day. She gets bored really easily, and then ends up coloring murals on my wall with blue crayon, or this...

 Yes, that is definitely bum cream. I was busy with something and she said "Look Mum, lip stuff". I thought she was just playing with a crayon and pretending to paint it on her lips like she usually does. I looked over at her a few minutes later and she was licking bum cream off her face.

Today, I am trying to keep her busy. We spent the morning reading books and cleaning the kids' bedroom. Hyrum was fussy, so I plopped him on the couch beside her and she read to him too! It was cute. She's such a good big sister. Her most favorite book in the whole world is "Silly Suzy Goose" and she requests it every nap time and bedtime. She has it memorized, and sometimes I will hear her reading it out loud after we have put her to bed. I think I may buy a "good copy" as a keepsake for her later on.

I was luck enough to catch a few videos of her reading some books to Hyrum and I thought I would share.

"One day Suzy Goose looked around. She was JUUUST like everybody else. I wish I could be different she thought. If I were a bat, I would flap my wings. If I were a Toucan, I would make a SQUAK. If I were a penguin I would slip and slide."  

Then the pages got stuck and she couldn't find the giraff (which she knows is next) so she skipped to the end.

"All the way back to the others, just in time. PERHAA-APS it is better to be just like everyone else. ROARHONK said Suzy Goose. ALL done!"

Dancing in the Rain

Yesterday it rained again.We still ventured out (by car) to the library for some morning fun. It was good. We came home and had lunch, and then Camilla went for a nap. When she woke up she was dying to get outside! When Hyrum went down for his nap, I pulled out the umbrella and her rubber boots and we went out to the front yard to dance in the rain. She sang songs, splashed in puddles and caught rain drops on her tongue. I enjoyed the fresh smell of the rain as the drops landed on my face. It was so refreshing and wonderful. We stood under the umbrella for a while watching cars go by and talking to each other. I was filled with so much joy! All of the difficult moments of the day seemed to disappear as I laughed with my little girl on the front lawn. We came in soaking wet, but our hearts were warm with laughter. Sometimes I wish I was a kid again, and then remember that I can still splash in puddles and dance in the rain with my own kids, and I am happy.

Morning Smiles

 

Hyrum is such a good little boy! Lately, I've been enjoying his little smiles and coos. He loves attention and loves to talk to us. At night, he will sleep 4-5 hours in a row for the first stretch, then 2-3 and then maybe another hour.  He usually wakes up around 2:30 AM for his first feed of the night, and then again around 5:00 AM. Then around 6:30 AM he wakes up when Camilla walks across the creeky hardwood floor and into our room for a snuggle. Usually, I can feed him, and then he goes back to sleep while I get breakfast and pack Mr. Stannix's lunch.  It's perfect. 

I have recently discovered though that Hyrum is a morning person, or so it seems. When I go to his crib at 5:00AM he is usually flailing his arms, grunting and cooing. I pick him up and snuggle him in close and then we go to the change table for a fresh diaper. As soon as I lay him down he gets all excited! He will look straight up at me and his mouth will make the funniest shapes as he smiles and grins away excitedly. Today I was able to catch a few of those melt-my-heart little grins on camera.This kid seriously cracks me up. 

I read a lot of stuff when Camilla was little about not making eye contact or talking to your babies at night to help them differentiate between night and day. With Hyrums little looks, I can't help but smile back at him and pause the diaper change for a quick chat. He just eats it up, and flashes more of his handsome grins.  It's kind of a special moment that we share together every morning. He really is a sweet little boy!

Although I'm sad to be leaving the "newborn" stage, I am excited for this next stage. I'm excited for all the smiles and giggles that are to come! I am excited that he is already communicating with us through his expressions and with his little voice. He is gaining better control of his motor skills and his arms don't flail and shake quite as much as before. He likes to grab and hold onto our fingers, my hair, or the front of our shirts while he snuggles. He still loves to be swaddled up and snuggled tight.

 ***

On a side note, today is another rainy day. Last night, Mr. Stannix and I snuggled in bed to the sound of rain and a cool breeze coming in through our opened window. There is nothing better then listening to the sound of rain as your falling asleep (except maybe being snuggled in with the Mr. while listening to the sound of rain). When we woke up this morning our room smelled fresh and lovely and the rain was still falling outside. I have dubbed it a sweatpants day and I think the kiddos and I will snuggle up together on the couch and watch movies this afternoon. We might even still hit up the library for sing-sign, but I think we'll drive this time!

Of Things that Matter Most

"If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most."

Watching this video "Moments that Matter Most" have put a lot of things into perspective for me today. The video actually gave me goosebumps and I thought it was really well done. It was a great reminder of the things that matter most to me, and special moments that I never want to forget. 

"Moments are the molecules that make up eternity".

~Elder Neal A. Maxwell

I find these special moments in my Children's smiles, in playing at the park, in blowing bubbles with Camilla, in the pure sound of joy that comes from my children's laughter. I find these moments as I recall my temple marriage where I was sealed to the man I love for time and all eternity. I can find these moments in sweet kisses from Mr. Stannix. I find these moments as I take time to hug my children and read to them and tell them that I love them, or tuck them in tight at night. These special moments shine through as I spend time with my family and listen to their hopes and dreams. I find these moments in the sweet giggle of a little baby. I find these moments in the fresh smell of rain after a hot day, or splashing in puddles with my little girl. I find these moments in crisp Autumn air and listening to the leaves crunch under my feet. These moments appear in building snow men, skating around a rink under a blue sky, and snowball fights. I find these moments as I watch my sweet angel children sleep in their beds in their streetlight lit room with tiny grins on their round little faces, knowing that they are fully content. I find these moments with I slow down and take the time to look for them in my life.

"It's not so much major events as the small day to day decisions that map the course of living ".

~President Gordon B. Hinckley

It's not the big things we do, but daily decisions that help us focus on what matters most. The decision to hug our children, or tell them we love them. The decision to hold family prayer and scripture study. The decision to build our relationship with the savior. The decision to not get angry when little things go wrong or there's a mess to be cleaned up. The decision to listen to our little children when they talk to us and gaze into their little eyes. These are some of the things that matter most.

It's hard to appreciate these moments in the busy lives we lead, but life is so much more full and rich when we take the time to think about these precious moments. We truly do have reason to rejoice.