the brunsons! kait-y-kait loves babies and oohed and aahed over eliza, especially her little fingers and toes. lise played with hannah and popped in to hold the baby for a minute. see those darling girls and their smiles. it’s always a delight to get together with the brunsons. the kids love to play together. grandma price treated everyone to some fabulous gelato. fun times with cousins! 09.24.2011
jimmy was holding eliza.
i was tickling her.
and she laughed.
it was a sweet sound.
it made my day.
notice that eliza is not laughing when the 2-year-old is trying to “hold”/grab her.
but… oh, she’s so cute.
sorry no caps lately. caps are much harder when typing one-handed.
my kids are home sick again today. they are on the mend but not well enough to go to school. so – what to do? i guess we’ll make jell-o, eat soup and saltines, drink sprite & gatorade, and watch movies. i’m such a nice mom – i force my kids to watch old movies. i figure if they are sick enough and bored enough they’ll have to give them a try. they squawked a bit but ended up liking them.
I wish Condorman was available for purchase on itunes. I don’t want to rent it. And there are so many old ones that i wish cost $5… Apple Dumpling Gang, The cat from outer space, The million Dollar duck, Shaggy Dog, etc. What funny classics.
Feeling a bit more positive today.
Jimmy’s home.
It’s Friday.
I’m getting my hair cut.
Yay!
The sun is shining.
The older tots are imagining outside.
Max is eating corn chex.
His favorite.
Tru gave me kisses.
The kids are wearing NYC shirts.
Jimmy also gave them pop rocks.
Pretty much an awesome breakfast.
Don’t every try to squish 4 kids on the front porch step.
Lots of elbows.
Much better. More space.
So – our goal for today:
Be Awesome Today by Lucius Art
2 months
Length: 22.5 in (52%)
Weight: 11 lbs (52%)
Head Circ: 38cm (27%)
I love little fingers and toes. Aren’t her leggings cute?
The doctor commented at her well-check that Eliza is such a calm baby. I guess that’s true. She’s not very demanding, which is a good thing because her brother is right now. She endures a lot of “LOVE” from said brother.
It’s really hard to capture a photo that shows how Eliza really looks & how cute she is. This photo of her smiling shows how chubby her cheeks are getting & how her eyes scrunch & sparkle when she smiles.
Let’s see – a little news about Lizzy:
~ She can sleep for 6+ hours at night. It doesn’t always happen, but we REJOICE when it does.
~ She really is a snuggler. She still curls up in a ball & sleeps on our shoulder.
~ She is getting more solid. When we burp her she doesn’t feel like a skinny newborn anymore.
~ She still makes newborn grunts.
~ She is starting to coo when she smiles.
~ She did not like getting her shots. It was very sad. Very sad indeed.
~ She looks so cute and sweet in pink.
~ She smiles at the wall, at lights, at the ceiling. I think she still has angel friends.
~ Her eyes are dark blue.
~ Her eyelashes & eyebrows are blonde.
~ She still smells a bit like heaven.
~ She is working on having a strong neck to move her head around. Go Zu-Zu.
~ We call her Bugsy when she opens her eyes really wide. One night when I was feeding her a few weeks ago, I expected her eyes to be closed as usual. Instead, they were wide open gazing up at me. So cute! They reminded me of Bugsy on bedtime stories.
~ We also call her Zu-Zu. This nickname comes from It’s a Wonderful Life and ZuZu’s petals. Jimmy always likes the name ZuZu because of that movie… so ZuZu it is.
~ We love Eliza.
One never knows if a 2-year-old is seriously possessed, in need of pain medicine, constipated, hungry, or just plain grouchy. only 358 more days until he turns 3. please tell me he’ll magically become rational.
Abe had his first tooth extracted yesterday at the dentist. Actually it is 2 teeth that were fused together. He was so brave. Plus, he was pleased that the tooth fairy finally got to visit him. She left him a little extra $dough$ because he had to wait until 2nd grade to lose a tooth, it was 2 teeth, and the dentist pulled it. Ouch!
According to Abe, “Nothing is more better than mom’s bread.”
why is it that when my boys go outside to play I have to tell them, “Be nice. No playing about killing or hitting or anything mean. And if you scream or yell at someone you’ll end up in your room. Be nice.”
In Hannah’s alternate reality: “Sometimes I want to live in a big house in the country, run in the fields, and make crowns out of daisies.”
Seriously – dishes are so awful to do when there is sticky syrup dripping off plates… cheese hardened, peanut butter smeared, applesauce encrusted on bowls, silverware everywhere with goobs on them. We have a rule to rinse dishes off before placing them on the counter… obviously nobody regards that rule. Plus, I start blaming the kids for the mess, when really I should have done the dishes before I took a nap. Arggg!
this made my morning:
in regards to that… yesterday I realized I wasn’t emotionally or physically up to my week flying solo as parent. I started feeling selfish and didn’t want to deal with 5 kids by myself (especially all the night time shifts). Am I alone? No way. What was I thinking? I saw a reminder on a blog that encouraged me…
never kill a fly on the cupboard directly above the open mixer of kneading bread. luckily after lots of searching i found the fly on the counter. phew!
speaking of bread, I love my new Gerken’s Cinnamon Drops to add to bread (like great harvest cinnamon burst) and muffins.
if only you could have been a fly on the wall during fhe on monday. “it was one for the record books,” according to jimmy. abe decided we needed a lesson on love and peace. well – fhe was anything but full of peace… isn’t that how it goes sometimes. we had a full-on hitting war between max and tru during the song, “Families can be Together Forever.” Although there were some positive moments like finding scriptures on LOVE in the topical guide, the rest was pretty much bonkers. Press onward we shall.
today a friend asked if we wanted to come pick raspberries from her garden. Boy-Howdy… did we ever! Hannah was in heaven… pretending to be THAT country girl with the daisy crown on her head. She said, “I know it would be a lot of work to live on a farm, but I just think it would be fun.” It sure is fulfilling to do practical work though… especially if it’s food you’ve grown (or in this case… that my friend grew!) and harvested. Thanks for the fabulous and plentiful raspberries Laurie!
Truman turned 2 on Wednesday. He is still too young to look forward to and understand such a celebration, but once the party started, he enjoyed himself. We had a pretty mellow day, but the weather was nice so we got to play outside.
For dinner we had Fried Rice which Truman really enjoyed. Then we sang him Happy Birthday and brought out the cake. He enjoyed that and the kids helped blow out the candles. Tru didn’t eat any cake, but it was fun for the rest of the kids. Presents: oh the joy! You can see in the photos that Tru was given very little space… he had lots of helpers to open the gifts and enjoy them.
Truman liked all of his presents:
~ Mr. Potato Head made him laugh so hard.
~ White Chocolate Pretzels… a prize from dad. Tru ate the entire bag by the next day.
~ Barrel of Monkeys… 1 little monkey swinging in a tree… teasing Mr. Crocodile, “Can’t catch me!”. Along came Mr. Crocodile, quiet as can be… and Snapped that monkey right out of that tree.
~ Fruit Snacks
~ Garbage truck from Grandma & Grandpa: Tru Loved this. He loves watching the real garbage truck on Wednesdays. He enjoyed putting the garbage cans in the back and driving the truck around.
A bit about Tru at age 2:
~ stubborn as can be at times… sweet as can be at times.
~ is learning to jump.
~ walks down the stairs well.
~ loves his blankies
~ loves ‘popcorn popping’ before bed
~ lets Hannah help him. well, most of the time.
~ loves to swing, and swing, and swing
~ favorite activity is gathering rocks… on hikes, on walks, in parking lots, in driveways. lots of rocks to gather everywhere.
~ does great eating when he’s in the right mood … chicken, beef, veggies, fruits, soup. He’s very particular about forks, spoons, plates, cups… and feeding himself.
~ has issues with hitting, screaming, biting, pinching, and kicking.
~ has moments of just snuggling and sitting in my lap.
~ loves baby einstein movies
~ is pretty serious, but thinks max is funny and laughs with him.
~ always laughs at the king throwing things in David and Goliath. He knows the names of David’s brothers.
~ is a smart little kiddo… too smart for his own good sometimes.
~ has been staying close to mom and dad lately. Even when the kids play outside, he doesn’t want to be out there unless we are with him.
~ really likes Eliza but is learning how to be gentle with her.
~ is a skinny kiddo with little features and head.
~ is still working on growing those eye teeth in all the way. He still has yet to grow in his 2nd set of molars.
~ picks the seeds out of everyone’s popcorn bowl and either eats them or gives them to Jimmy.
~ has a cowlick in the center of the front of his hair so it looks like it splits down the middle.
~ has a tender heart. when he gets in trouble i think his feelings are hurt more than anything. once we give him a love, he is much better.
~ says very few two-word phrases… but knows many words.
~ likes to have a turn reading scriptures. he repeats one word at a time. his voice inflections are so cute.
~ really doesn’t like holding hands, especially when crossing the street. he always wants to go at his own speed and his own direction. this = hard times for mama.
~ gets super constipated. we really have keep his diet balanced because of this reason.
~ sleeps in a big boy bed but usually gets up once during the night. he’ll usually go right back to sleep in his own bed after spending a little wiggle time with us.
~ will say sorry and give loves after calming down in time-out.
~ is a dear little boy whom we love so much. We do hope he grows out of his tantrum and screaming phase, but we’ll take all the snuggles and loves he’ll give us.
Truman
Age 2 years
Length: 35.75 in (83%)
Weight: 25.2 lbs (16%)
Head Circ: 48.5 cm (45%)
Dear Eliza…
The day of your blessing arrived. You were the 3rd baby to be blessed Sunday in the new Jordan Willows 6th Ward. You napped right until we left for church so dad quickly got you ready while mom tried to get to church early to get a bench… only we weren’t very early. Luckily, Grandma and Grandpa saved the day and reserved seats. Grandpa and Grandma Price, Aunt Janey and your cousin Ryan, Uncle Brock and Aunt Julie, Dennis and Catherine, Paul and Jill, John, and your cousin Jim DeMordaunt came to support you.
Once you arrived at the church with dad, we realized your tights were miles too long and on backwards so we quickly rid you of those crazy leggings. You looked so darling in your blessing dress, headband, and special bracelet (from Grandma Price). Your hair kept getting messed up and fuzzy since we had just washed it.
You drank a nice big bottle, had a few burps, and you were ready for your blessing. You were pretty quiet during the blessing. Your dad did a wonderful job and was thoughtful and patient in speaking the blessing.
You are a dear daughter of God. We love you and hope you enjoy being a part of our Eternal Family.
Love, Mom
Dear Eliza… You were so cute and pretty on your blessing day. I was almost crying because it was so awesome. You had a bracelet that matched my baptism necklace. I thought that was special. I love you Dear ‘Liza. ~ Hannah
Dear Eliza… You are the cutest baby in the world. I saw you in your blessing and you were so cute. You looked fancy. And I liked your blessing. I felt really good. ~ Abraham
My Notes from Eliza’s Blessing:
~ be healthy and have a strong body throughout her life
~ be strong spiritually and physically
~ have strong faith to keep commandments, obey parents, faith in the Savior
~ be a good example to her siblings even though she is the youngest
~ be a joy to her family
~ have the desire to go to the temple to make covenants with Thee that will allow her, through her faithfulness, to return to thy presence; and that through those coventants be sealed to husband and family.
~ be active in the gospel
~ be fortified in faith and testimony
~ have strength to endure trials that will surely come in this increasingly wicked world
P.S. This is exactly how many photos we have from Eliza’s Blessing Day = zero, zilch, nada. Sad. Yes, it’s very sad, indeed. Everything was so rushed with getting 5 kids ready, forgetting the camera, trying to print my R.S. lesson (which wouldn’t ever print), hauling 100 R.S. books to the church, meeting family, getting to Sunday School, and all that was going on with our first Sunday having the full 3 hours in our new ward including staying afterwards for a few hours for R.S. Calling Setting Aparts. Yes, we’ll take a photo of Jimmy with Lizzy, but I’m sad we won’t have one with everyone else who was with us that day. It was a sweet day to enjoy little Eliza Ruth.
P.P.S. I have always loved the photo from my blessing day,
which is why photos of blessing days are special to me.
1976 – Me, on my blessing day with Uncle Nolan Mackay, my dad, and Jim Gee
– because they think taking crazy pictures with photobooth is hilarious.
– because they snuggle and love blankies.
– because they forgive so quickly and easily.
– because they get to wear the snuggliest feetsie jammies.
– because they laugh so hard that they snort.
– because they like family activities in the mountains, movie night … even scripture time and fhe.
– because they think it’s fun to scrub.
– because sometimes they run home from a friend’s house (in 40 degree weather) without underwear, pants, or shoes on … to change wet underwear… all without friend’s mother knowing. at least he was safe! aaak. oh, max… sometimes you are a spaz. be safe, child!
– because they think it’s so cool that you know how to do things… like make cookies, drive a car, and type.
– because they don’t mind staying in jammies all day.
– because they think you’re serious when you see a bump under the covers and say, “where’s max? hey, has anyone seen max?” oh, the laughter that comes from that bump in the bed.
– because they are so pure.
– because they giggle during the prayer.
– because they say “best day ever” a few times a month… over simple things like a popcorn party at school.
– because when i sing at the top of my lungs, they think it’s good singing… or at least fancy… when really i’m not the best singer… someday they’ll realize.
– because tickling & smiling is a favorite activity.
– because they don’t care if you wear make-up or fancy clothes.
– because they tell stories similar to this, “once upon a time I ate my broccolli. and it was so yummy. and it was so yucky. and i chewed so big. the end.”
– because they quiz us on multiplication problems over dinner.
– because even when they grow up a little (like hannah & abe), they realize i’m weird & say, “oh, mom!” with a smile and a sigh… but they still think i’m funny. i know this won’t last forever… i’ll take it while it lasts.
– because they like to change diapers, help with the baby, do dishes, and help make dinner.
– because babies have the cutest feet ever… especially when they spread their toes.
– because they announce to all when they have to go potty.
– because they don’t even know that i’m a really bad dancer… they just think i’m silly to dance, dance, dance and listen to music with them.
– because they run around holding hands.
– because they go to bed by 8 p.m.
– because they concentrate so hard when learning to whistle & snap (abe has recently mastered both & is very proud of himself)
– because they love, love, love sweet songs.
– because they look forward to s’mores for after-school snacks.
– because they have squishy cheeks… so soft.
– because they don’t mind when you kiss their cheeks all day long.
– and because they kiss me on the cheek and tell me they love me.
I thought I’d take a few photo of Eliza for her 1 month birthday which was on Thursday the 15th. Here she is:
Oh – wait… I think Max snuck into that photo … last minute. I relocated and tried again. Now you can see her:
Hmm…. guess we can see that Eliza never is really quite alone with all these siblings around.
A few days later, we tried again.
We can see our cute little babe. I love what Max said to Eliza right before I took this picture.
“Oh, d’Liza. You can’t play basketball. You are too little.
It’s okay d’Liza, it’s just me, Max. I love you so much.”
Little Lizzy still sleeps much of the day away. She eats every 3 hours, even at night. Poor little thing always spits up out her nose so she often sounds snoggy. She keeps her eyes closed so much, but when she opens them, you can see her little personality more. She’s bright-eyed & curious to see the LIGHT. I love when she gazes up like she’s seeing angels. Sweet little soul!
I guess that’s about all. Pretty much she sleeps, drinks her bottle, is awake for 10 minutes here and there, poops, spits up, and sleeps again. We love Zu-Zu.
