Sarah has said lots of silly things...

and has done some funny "tricks" lately.

But I will sum up our recent happenings with pictures.

 Jane-Bug is 5 months!

(Jane-Boog as Sarah says)

 We are outside a lot.  The weather has been fantastic.

 Fun times at the park...

 She can change in an instant.

 They handed out whistles that were rabbit mouths at the Mtns Edge Easter Egg Hunt.

I was trying to get Jane to use it like a pacifier.  You can see she really enjoyed that.

 Rolling down the hill.  She wouldn't do it unless I did it.

 As always, Jane just chillin' in the car seat.  I LOVE this stage...it is so cute when they "find" their feet!

 QT in the backyard...

 Flying kites at Grandma and Pappy's house.

We've been busy doing family things outdoors...

before it gets too HOT here!

Catching up...again. BUSY month

Jane's blessing was Sunday, Feb. 6th.

I got so busy with the day...that I didn't take any pictures until almost everyone was gone!  What's my problem?!?!  So a couple of days after the fact I got Jane dressed up again and took some pictures of her.  What a doll baby!

I wanted to incorporate the blanket I made for her somehow in the pictures, so I used it as a backdrop for her.  Sarah's room has some great natural light...

A couple of things I want to document about that day:

It was a nice day - very windy, but sunny.  We had almost all of our immediate family in attendance.

There were 2 other babies blessed that day.  The three of them were born a day apart (16,17,18).  Jane was an absolute angel through the blessing.  She wore the dress that Sarah was sealed to our family in.  It's a little cumbersome because it has crazy amounts of tulle on the skirt, but I love it.  I made a blanket with her name embroidered on it, and made her headband.  I added flowers to her shoes to match her headband.

Several friends were there also.  After Sacrament Meeting, friends and family came over for an early dinner.  We also watched some of the Super Bowl, but mostly just passed Jane around and visited.

Sarah is SUCH a good big sister.  This is a normal occurrence in our home.  Try as I might, I just can't stop Sarah from climbing into Jane's crib.  In this picture, Jane had an ear infection and the doctor wanted us to have her propped up while she was sleeping.  Sarah was so concerned about Jane being sick, she would just keep checking on her.  They already have such a bond.  I really hope it continues to get stronger as they grow older. 

Sarah's birthday was on the 13th. We put balloons in her room while she was sleeping.

Best investment ever.  LOL!  That is all she talked about that day!  Who cares what she actually got for her birthday...she woke up to balloons in her room.

I had a very small get together for a couple of her friends.  I was really trying to keep it to the rule of inviting as many friends as how old the child is...we were close.  She had 5 of her closest buddies come over for a Wizard of Oz party.  They walked into our home on the yellow brick road, and played in the Emerald City.

I got a bunch of green food.

We played "pin the heart on the Tin Man"

And I took pictures of her friends in front of this silly green poster.

Sarah couldn't decide if she wanted to be the Tin Man or Dorothy...so she was both.

We had our 12th wedding anniversary.

Crazy we've been married that long!

We went to dinner and had a night out of shopping.

We also went to St. George to bike.  That really wasn't part of our anniversary plans, but it happened around that same time.

I'm really out of shape, but still had a great time.

For journaling purposes...here's our month:

Jane ear infection

Twins born

Emily's wedding (second shooter)

Jane's blessing

Sarah's bday

Valentine's Day

Sarah's party

New calling in YW

Started up again with photo sessions

Anniversary/Mt biking

WPPI/photog workshop

Things to remember about Sarah:

She called me "Your Highness" the other day

She can say the 1st and 2nd Articles of Faith, yet when you ask her to spell her name she says, "S-T-O-P!"

Her mood can change in a blink.  She will turn her back to me, fold her arms and say, "I not really happy right now!!"

She loves to talk to/hug/kiss/smother Jane.  She will hug Jane and say, "Awwww...Shucks."  or

"Jane really likes me Momma!"

She loves Nursery Rhymes

When she colors, she tells me "I doing my homework."  Especially if I ask her to do something while she's coloring.  "I can't right now.  I doing my homework."  Huh??

She loves to ride her bike.  She talks all the time about how she has to eat her food "all gone" so she can get big and strong to go on her bike in the mountains with her Daddy someday.

She INSISTS on saying prayer at every opportunity...even when we are at In 'N Out (still her favorite)

I'm told to enjoy this while we can, because it goes away all too quick.

There are lots of other funny things she has done, but I can't even remember them all.

She has such an exuberant personality...she keeps me on my toes!

Jane:

She sleeps mostly through the night now

She is very easy-going

Started laughing last week and reaching for things

My favorite - I love when I go to give her her pacifier in the night and she grabs my arm with both hands and pulls me to her.

She is a very smiley girl.

Whew!  That post felt like a novel!  I just don't want to forget these precious times (yet busy times!) with my babies.

2 months!

I can't believe that Jane is two months old already!

She has to be one of the most smiley babies I have ever seen...Even if her big sister is all up in her personal space, 2 inches away from her face.  When we were taking these pictures, she had been sleeping for 3 1/2 hours and was in need of eating.  I was going to feed her before I started snapping away, but she was in such a good mood I didn't want to miss it! 

Nicknames:  Jane-Bug (or Buggie), Tweedlebug, Jane Nay Nay Nay, Princess Buttercup (??),

Baby Sister (or as Sarah says, "See-stah")

Jane is a great sleeper (knock on wood), and loves to take a shower.

She does not like taking a bath and she hates hiccups!
I love the birth mark on the bottom of her foot and her peel-y skin...
She has such a sweet disposition - even has a sweet cry!
She is starting to look a *little* more like her momma.

John will be blessing her the first Sunday of February-she will be wearing Sarah's sealing dress.

(ugh!  these look all wrong on blogspot...oh well)

We love our baby girl!

Conversations with an almost 3-year-old

I want to blog about Christmas...but I will do that another time.  I just want to get this down before I forget.

Yesterday I took Sarah out for some one-on-one Mommy time.  (we had a particularly difficult day Tuesday)  She loves "bumps," whether she is in a stroller or in a car.  So I told her we would go in the truck and ride on some bumps in the desert by our house.  This served two purposes: [1] I wanted to give her 100% of my attention and [2] I wanted to practice with some of my new equipment.

We drove around a little bit, then we got out.

She is saying "MONEY"

 The flash didn't fire on this one, but I still like it.

"BOO!"

Some of our conversation:
Me - Sarah hurry!  The sun is going to go down...I want pictures before the sun goes down!
Stand over here...look this way, etc.  etc.

A few minutes later...
 Sarah - Mommy, go get that!!
Me - Go get what?
Sarah - That over there (pointing to the sun)  Huwwy (hurry)!  It's leaving!!
Me - Oh sweetie.  We can't stop the sun from setting...the sun is going night-night.
Sarah - No night-night!  I get it!
Ugh!  Can't reach it Mommy.

Sarah - I don't want the sun to go night-night!


[later]
As part of our "Mommy-time" I told Sarah we would go for ice cream.
When we got back in the truck this is part of our conversation.
Sarah - Yay!  I get ice cweam now! (repeated like 10 times)
Me - Yes!  That will be so fun!  Mommy just needs to go home to get money, then we'll have some dinner (I tried to sneak that in), then we'll get some ice cream.  YAY!
Sarah - No!  No dinner Mommy.  That's not happening.  I need my ice cweam NOW.
I turn my head the other way so she doesn't see me laughing.

Oh boy.  I'm totally in trouble.  She picks up on so many words...even when we think she's not paying attention.  We love Cat In The Hat around our house.  When John and I talk about the girls to each other, we sometimes say Thing 1 and Thing 2 (joking of course).  The other day John called to me from the shower, "Don't forget about Thing 2 downstairs."  Jane was sleeping in her swing.  Sarah ran up to me and raised her hand, "Mommy!  I'm Thing 1!!  I'm Thing 1!!"
All I could do was smile.

Sometimes she randomly puts her arms up and says, "Save me Mommy!! I'm sinking!!"

Sarah also has this fascination with Cookie Monster.  She is really afraid of him.  She pretends all the time that he is around and then tells me to keep her safe.

There have been times that I've threatened to spank her.  (Who me?  Never!!)  She will tell me very calmly, "No Mommy, that's MY bum."

Oh boy.  Smarty Pants.

Christmas Card Cop-out

It seems that everyone is going to the blog/facebook digital Christmas Card.

I would like to say that it's because I am going "green" and didn't want to waste the paper...

but, I think you all know me better than that.  It's mostly due to putting my efforts into other things...and whatever energy I had left went to being with my family. 

I mean, look how cute they are!  How could I resist?

Yes - I am one of those crazy ladies who tries to make the whole family match the Sunday before Christmas.  I am surprised we actually got this on the third take right before church.

I love that Jane is grinning at Sarah.  I can see that happening a lot in the future.

Our year was mostly filled with doctor visits and getting ready for Jane to come.  We managed to squeeze in a trip to DisneyLand in February and the beach in the summer.  John took me "away" sans Sarah for my birthday...but I don't need to re-cap my year.  I have blogged most the notable events.

I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

My friend Melissa shared this song with me a couple of years ago...I just love it.  It touches me even more this year, after experiencing labor and birth myself.  I think about Mary this year...I know how uncomfortable I was as my due date closed in.  I can't imagine how she felt traveling in that state.  I think of how my dear husband supported me through the delivery process while nurses and doctors (and my mom!) tended to my every need...and how Joseph had to do everything by himself. 

I am touched by the humble way Our Savior came to this Earth and the circumstances that surrounded His coming.
May you all have a Very Merry, Christ-filled Christmas!