halloween candy

this is more for the books than for anything else, but I wanted to give an update on the NO CANDY contest going on at my house.

For the past 10 months, Ben and Luke have been on a NO CANDY challenge. That's right, they haven't eaten ANY candy since January 1, 2011. The challenge was to go an entire year without candy for $100 each. Because I am such a nice mom and because I love Halloween so much, I stated months ago that Halloween is the only exception. They were able to eat their trick-or-treating candy on Halloween day. They seemed excited about it, but guess what? The each ate a few pieces and then they were done... They wanted to give it to the Great Pumpkin (trade it in for a present) and hardly touched their loot. When they put their buckets by the door on Halloween night, Zack followed suit and didn't want his candy either!!!! What the?? I decided to take Simon's candy too since he's at an out-of-sight-out-of-mind age right now.. So, I have SO MUCH candy stashed in my closet, I am not sure what to do with it. My midwife suggested to save it to decorate Gingerbread houses (or maybe even keep it for stockings at Christmas, too.)

It's mind-boggling how little my kids care about the candy. I thought they were going to PIG OUT on Halloween just because they could, but they were so NOT excited about it.. Aaron doesn't think we should pay them for the challenge because it hasn't been difficult enough for them, but I think they TOTALLY deserve every penny. I am really proud of them and their dedication. Those two boys are such a blessing to our family..

girl club

I am finally in the GIRL CLUB!!!

For the past ten years my sister Debbie and I have never been able to relate when it comes to raising children. She has all girls, I have all boys. Our motherhood experience has been very different and I can't wait to start asking her for advice! It's been ridiculously fun dressing my little baby in all of Debbie's baby girl clothes. She has given me more than I know what to do with.

Debbie and her four girls were in Vegas for almost a week. I am so grateful they were here while my husband was out of town. We had so much fun introducing them to our little Roma. Deb headed back to Utah early this morning and we will miss them dearly!!

Halloween pictures to come...

big bro

Simon and Roma just a few hours after they first met each other...

This boy has been my hardest challenge since his little sister arrived. He has also been the cutest, most attentive, most protective big brother I have ever seen. He LOVES his "baby Woma" but he won't allow me to take care of her on my own, which really can be exhausting. He wants to assist with every feeding, every diaper change, everything she does. He is constantly worried that the baby won't be coming when we leave the house... or the room. If I tell him it's time to eat, he will make sure she's joining us in the kitchen. All day long, I hear the following questions: My baby Woma eat? My baby Woma coming? My baby Woma take a bath? Minutes after she arrived, he realized he couldn't do anything without her. He will gather all her blankets and binkis and toys and will carry them around the house. If someone tries to take them away from him, he will punch them in the face and scream, "these MY baby Woma!" If she cries, he's the first one to rescue her. And he's a little too comfortable carrying her around. Yes, he's picked her up twice and carried her to me. Absolutely dangerous, I know. But absolutely darling too.

One of the sweetest (and most annoying) thing he does, is inch his way around the baby to make it seem like she wants to be next to him. I often catch him sitting next to her on the couch and moving every blanket or pillow behind her head so that she conveniently falls right on his lap. He will lay next to her in the bed and angle his body in the perfect position so it looks like she wanted to lay on his shoulder. Last week, I happened to have the camera nearby...

Something tells me that baby Woma thinks he's more endearing than he is annoying.

so much to post... so little motivation

My camera cord is back and in business. I am currently downloading 1200 pictures to my laptop. wowza. where to begin? Deb is in town with her cute girlies. My husband flies out to San Fran tomorrow on business.... which makes me even more grateful to have my sis here. I have so much to document, but only have a few minutes before the baby will want to eat. So this is all you get tonight....

Roma went to her first Cub Scout pack meeting. She no likey-- especially the loud, obnoxious cheers. It was kind of fun because it was outside and we roasted hot dogs and smores. But it was kind of not fun because I have 5 kids and my sister has 4... We probably should have stayed home and microwaved a package of wieners and called it a night. ANYWAY... Roma got dressed in a warm outfit and looked super cute. (Isn't that what matters most of all??)

Isn't she lovely?

Today I heard Stevie Wonder's song Isn't She Lovely and I cried. Just thinking about her fills my heart with happiness. And LOVELY is such a perfect word to describe little Roma.

My emotional state is very stable these days. I think I've only cried one other time since she was born. I feel extremely happy and incredibly blessed for the five little people that live in my house. Having a baby has definitely made things more complicated, but ever since she was born, I feel like I am moving in slow motion-- just enjoying the moment and soaking in her loveliness.

These pictures were taken when she was four days old. I have two wonderfully talented photographer friends here in Vegas who offered to do photos for a baby gift. I still feel indebted to them. The pictures are truly priceless.

More to come later.

I also have a bazillion pictures to upload from this past weekend. My oldest sister Lori, her husband Phillip and their seven kids came to visit for 5 days. At the same time, my little brother David and his wife were passing through Vegas on their way to Disneyland with their two kids.... so we had a full house! Lori ended up taking the cord to my camera back with her to Utah yesterday, so no pictures yet. But, lucky for us, the camera cord is traveling back to Vegas as I type. My sister Debbie and her four girls will be here in just a few hours. Yes, we have lots of visitors... and that's how we like it! Our kids have been in heaven with their cousins and I have absolutely loved showing off my beautiful baby girl.

I think this is my favorite picture of the bunch. I love the umbilical cord and the cute baby cleavage. I wish they could stay little forever!

so in love

This little human doesn't leave my side for anything. I am usually really strict with my sleeping habits and don't let my babies sleep in my room (let alone my bed) because they make too many little noises and keep me awake all night. But this little girl is RIGHT next to me all night long. She is so quiet and peaceful and warm and she smells delicious. We have a bassinet next to our bed but every time I put her in it, she's too far away from me. I am so in love.

Her hands are so funny. They are always spread out, always next to her face. If her fingers aren't in Wolverina-attack-mode, then it looks as if she's trying to communicate through sign language. The older boys are always trying to make sense of her finger signals. I love that they think she's sending them secret code. This morning, I think she was trying to say, "No more pictures, please."

date night

Saturday night we left our five kids and went out on a date. I realize this isn't a smart idea when you have a two-week old baby, but sometimes you have to live a little. Truth be told, a while ago, Aaron bought a pair of tickets to a tennis tournament that he really wanted to go to. I had no intention of going, but the closer it got, the more Aaron felt bad for leaving me home with the kids. So he officially decided not to go, and I knew that the only way he would go is if I went with him. Roma will take a bottle like a pro, so we decided to make a date of it. We asked some dear friends of ours to watch ALL of our kids. It means so much to have friends you can trust with your babies.

Anyway, the tennis tourney was awesome. We were able to watch 4 of the GREATS play: John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras and Vegas' very beloved Andre Agassi. It was more entertainment than it was actual tennis, but it was way fun to see them interact with each other. McEnroe was talking all kinds of trash... he told a crying baby in the crowd to get a breast. Pete Sampras took the glasses off one of the line judges and cleaned them for him, implying he can't see well enough to judge a fair ball. Jim Courier and Andre were long time friends from WAY back in their jr league days in Florida. My husband is such a big tennis fan and knows so much about these players (yes, he reads their biographies :) that it was just a treat all around.

We got home late. I didn't really take any quality pictures because I didn't want to carry my big camera, but we had fantastic seats... center court about 20 rows up. It was awesome to see them up-close. Andre's wife, Steffi Graf was there with their two kids and we were just a couple of rows behind them. Really, my pictures are terrible, but I did get one of old man McEnroe with his shirt off. Oh baby.

This date will go down in the books as one of the best. We had a quick, romantic dinner at Subway, we drove our junky (beloved) minivan, we talked all night about our cute kids, we laughed about how Aaron wasn't going to get lucky that night--- not matter what. It's so nice to be reminded of how much fun we have together, just the two of us. That's something so easy to forget in the middle of all this chaos!

daddy's princess

There's something incredible about having 5 children with someone. It kind of feels the same as having one child, but with each new baby there seems to be a deeper commitment. You each have to sacrifice and lean on one another more than before. While I am taking care of the baby, Aaron is usually busy wrestling with our four little boys. But every once in a while, we will switch duties. It's heartwarming watching Aaron cuddle up with his first little girl.. This is something I've waited a decade to see.
We are going to try our best to keep her from turning her into a Diva. I doubt we will ever refer to her as "Daddy's princess" but we won't keep her from wearing cute shirts that say so. This one was picked out by Zack... he was so excited to help dress her and surprise Daddy when he got home from work. I would have asked Aaron to pose with her and show off her cute little outfit (polka-dotted pants) but after having 5 kids with this guy, I know better than to ask that.

Little Roma is doing remarkably well. She was a little underweight a few days ago (Wednesday she weighed 6lb 10oz) but after 2 days of waking her and feeding her every 2 hours, she's almost back to her birth weight. She's a whopping 7 lbs 3 oz at two weeks old. She is alert and content. She rarely cries and smiles often in her sleep. Her smiles are not just little upturning of the lips.. she gives open mouth, full-blown giggles and we just can't get enough. Can't wait to see those with her eyes open!

Because we're waking up every 2 hours, we officially kicked Daddy out of the master bedroom. He's downstairs in the guest room. Roma and I are enjoying our first all-night girl parties! We've watched several sappy chick-flicks, we talk about our feelings and we're never afraid to burp really loud after a good meal! I am feeling a bit tired, but she's worth every minute of lost sleep.

I keep thinking I need to take a picture of her head next to a tennis ball because that's about how small it looks. Maybe this remote control (that Simon gave her to "play" with) will give you an idea of how little she really is. She only fits in premie clothes.. We are having to wash the same 6-8 outfits and dress her as soon as they are out of the dryer. She has dressers full of bigger clothes just waiting for her to grow, but I'm not in a hurry for her to get any bigger... at least not THAT much bigger, anyway.

currently

Last night I intended to give an update on the family... but those two crying babies kept me away from my important blogging responsibilities. Little stinkers. This afternoon Simon is sleeping peacefully in Roma's crib-- trapped under a crib tent. He was giggling when I put him in. After I zipped it up, he wanted a kiss through the mesh material and that was that. He's been sleeping for two hours now and I feel like a new woman! I can't wait to zip him up later tonight. Hope he doesn't mind sleeping in a purple room with butterflies for the next few months.

Roma is in our room and has been an incredible sleeper. She has been sleeping through the night (7-9 hour stretches) since she was born. Until yesterday, I was thinking she was an angel baby. Now I am starting to think her jaundice is worse than we originally thought. She's not very yellow, but she's super lethargic. And as nice as it is to get so much sleep, I am worried she's not growing like she should. My midwife is on her way over here to weigh her and check her out. Another AMAZING benefit of having a baby at home. No trip to the doctor's office with other sick kids. Hopefully we can get her chunked up soon.

We already miss Aunt Karen like crazy. She was here for 5 days and it was awesome. She is my mom's little sister and I am so appreciative of all that she has done for us. Karen has three granddaughters on the way (one due any day now) and that will total 10 grandchildren for her. We were so lucky to have her all to ourselves for 5 whole days! We watched chick flicks, ate yummy food, and talked until our faces turned blue. She was SO kind to make all kinds of goodies and keep our freezer stocked up with Sonic ice. If mom can't be here, Aunt Karen is the next best thing!! I feel bad we didn't take any pictures of her time with us. Luckily I had my camera in the car when we dropped her off... We all really miss Karen, especially Sy-Guy! He was her special errand-running buddy. (and Sunny will miss taking Karen for her afternoon walk :))

I took the two littles into Aaron's office yesterday to introduce the baby to his secretaries. Aaron will be switching law firms in two short weeks. This will be a big change for our family... especially for Aaron. It has been something in development for the past couple of months, so we were hoping the timing would be okay with a new baby. I think it will be. But having a new baby and a new job in the same month makes things a little chaotic. Aaron will not only be switching firms, but will go into a completely different field-- employment law with a big, national firm. We love our hard working man and know that he will be successful in whatever he does. Simon walked Aaron to the door this morning and said, "Bye, Hun! Good Day!"

We are spending as much time outside as we possibly can. Ben and Luke are really enjoying school and are still the best of buddies. Zack is doing awesome in his Kindergarten curriculum at home. When I tell him it's time to do homework, he gives a fist pump and says, "Yes!" He was actually tested today by his online teacher and she told me he's at a 2nd grade reading level. I emailed Aaron afterward and said, "Who knew?" He's been reading for some time, but he never really wants to do it on his own, so when he was going through his testing process this morning, I was probably more shocked than anyone else. Go Wacky Zacky! He's still as funny as ever. I need to be writing down all his crazy quotes....

I guess that just leaves me and fortunately there is no picture to go along. I am feeling pretty good, taking all things into consideration. For as hard as the labor was for me, the recovery has been my easiest (I think.) I wake up with lots of energy, I don't feel sad in the least, I am so grateful for all that I have, I am ready to set goals and get moving... This is NOTHING like I felt after I had Simon. But she's not quite 2 weeks old, so I should knock on wood as I type. Here's to hoping things only get better from here on out!

And that's the update on our family of 7. Our Halloween costumes are almost finished and we are getting excited for the big day! Two of my older sisters will be here before the month is over. We've been so spoiled! October is my FAVE. I just hope the last half doesn't go by as quickly as the first half went.. Take a chill-pill, Fall!

my babies

It's a little past 10 PM on a typically busy Tuesday. Aaron has been gone all night doing church stuff and it is my first night "on my own" with FIVE chilluns. My awesome auntie left this afternoon back to Idaho. (insert sob here.) Everything was going smoothly until around 8 PM. Simon was overly tired from our busy day of shopping, visiting Daddy at work, taking treats to neighbors (boo!) and spending a good hour jumping on the trampoline (the weather is oh-so-FAB!)

After trying to put him in his bed at least 20 times (I am in the process of getting a crib tent... he's been out of his crib for a couple of months and we still haven't found a solution. We tried putting him on the bunk bed with the older boys, but that no worky. Now he's sleeping in a play pen, and he escapes like a convict on the run.) Anyway, after trying to put him to sleep and failing miserably, I let him lay down by the baby on my bed. (Yes, I realize that I am the root of the problem when I give in.) The poor boy was so tired and while getting himself situated, he accidently hit Roma in the head.. Naturally, she started crying and that sent Simon into a full-out sob. This little boy is SO protective over his baby sister, and he felt terrible that he'd made her cry. Here were my two blubbering babies needing me to comfort them and all I could do was grab a camera and take a picture....

About an hour later, Roma was finally fed and changed into a nightgown. Simon had gotten on and off my bed a handful of times & ran into the foosball table once (in the dark). He FINALLY decided to give in and cuddle up to his sister again. When I saw them snoring away together, I almost teared up (for more reasons than one.) It was time to pull out the camera again and capture my two sleeping beauties.

I can't wait to see this relationship blossom as the years go by. There is already so much love.

Little People Nativity Set

I almost bought this Nativity set in the store a few years ago, but couldn't justify spending $40 at the time. Ever since then, I've been looking for it. You know you NEED something when you are thinking about it years later. Anyway, I saw this deal online (today only) and bought it. I love the idea of having a Nativity set that was made for your kids to PLAY with. It'll come to $24 with shipping.

If you're interested, go to this website: http://www.familychristian.com/shop/product.asp?prodID=59277&name=Fisher%20Price-Little%20People%20Nativity

If the Nativity set isn't showing up, search for "little people nativity" in the box at the top of the page. Click on the item, it's regularly priced at $39.99.

When you've gone through the checkout process, you will need to enter these TWO coupon codes. First, enter 125672195 to give you $16 off the price. Then, enter 1286872 to get FREE shipping.

her first bath

Roma's umbilical cord fell off pretty early (5 days old, is that early?) and I was anxious to give her a real bath and scrub her down. I don't usually buy baby bathtubs (the sink works just as well) but a month or so ago, Simon found a permanent marker while I was looking around at a garage sale and he colored all over this baby bath. So it became ours.

Simon is SUCH a big helper (not) and wants to be RIGHT next to her for every feeding, diaper changing, etc. He's a bit obsessive and calls her "my baby Woma". He is very gentle with her and will softly put her pacifier in her mouth, but if a brother comes along and tries to help him, he will slug them with the hand he isn't using. I guess I should be grateful he's not taking his aggression out on the baby...?

These pictures of all five of them in the tub make me laugh out loud. Ben hasn't taken a bath since Simon was a newborn and I took these shots. He was taking a shower while the little boys bathed. Luke got in the bath because he wanted to hold Roma... Just as I was about to take a picture of the 4 littles, I asked Big Ben if he wanted to hop in quickly with the rest of them. He kind of groaned but got in anyway, which made me giggle. The water in the tub literally went up 5 inches with him inside. Then I just kept giggling thinking about making my kids bathe together until they are in college. "I just want ONE picture!"

My bathroom is basically a war-zone on Sunday mornings. Adding a baby to the mix makes things even crazier, but luckily I have my awesome Auntie Karen here to help. She dressed the baby and got her all lotioned-up while I helped the boys get ready for church.. Roma's skin is a pretty pink color... but it looks a little scary when you put her next to her whitey older brothers. Summer is really over when the tan lines have faded. :( It makes me sad. But Fall is here and we are excited about all that is to come! I love this time of year!

**Oh, and I should write this little conversation down for keepsakes. When Luke got in the bath, Simon went to grab his package. Luke told him nicely, "Simon, you have your OWN wienie!" For the next 30 minutes Simon chanted this little tune, "I have my own wienie! I have my own wienie!"

Five Little Monkeys

Since she's arrived, we've started a new family tradition before bedtime.

It's called, "sit on mom and dad's bed and fight over Roma."

This particular night, Zack was winning.

Getting kids to smile is so much easier when Daddy is behind you with his shirt over his head.

Simon thinks Daddy is WAY funny...

Like, throw-your-head-back-and-snort funny

We sure love these little monkeys.

(when everyone pulled out their silly faces, Roma pulled out her Wolverina claws)