March Happenings

We're having a fun March. A couple of weeks ago, we had a visit from Gram & Papa (Patty & Rob), which Nate loved so much he couldn't have cared less if Jake or I were around. We mostly took it easy, but we also visited the JFK Museum, shopped a lot, and celebrated my 29th birthday. We're so glad you came, Gram & Papa!



No evening would be complete at our house without a PILLOW FIGHT! Each night when Jake gets home from work, we go through this ritual. Halfway through dinner, Nate proclaims "pillow fight!" and we spend the rest of the meal negotiating bites of his dinner with promises of the ensuing pillow fight. Jake flips Nate onto the bed, they bash each other with pillows for a while, then Nate tells me to hide in the hall and come find him (under a pile of pillows). This has become so much a part of our lives that I had to catch it on camera, before we forget this cute phase.






Our neighborhood had a fun little Easter egg hunt for the kiddos yesterday, so we took Nate. I prepared him for what would happen by reading him "Spot's First Easter," a book about a little dog who goes on an egg hunt with his hippo friend. I don't know if it was our advance preparation, or Nate's natural hoarding instincts, but he was a smashing success at the egg hunt. My favorite part was when he and a little girl reached for the same egg at one time, and the stare-down he had with the girl. We have it on video, so if we ever get high-tech enough to upload videos to the blog, that one will be there for sure. Until then, enjoy the pics.






After the egg hunt, I caught Nate enjoying his loot in the back seat.




Since Easter falls on the same day as General Conference this year, we dressed Nate in his new Easter outfit for church today. Thanks Gram & Papa, he looks awesome! Nate wasn't too excited about his photo op, though. He started freaking out, so we decided to change the venue to the table in the "sunny breakfast nook," which promptly caused him to sneeze. It was finally worth it though, with a couple of cute shots when I had just about given up hope. Lately at church, Nate sings "Winnie Pooh" or the ABC song at the top of his lungs while the rest of us are singing the hymns. It makes everyone within earshot laugh. Nate's Nursery leader told me today that he gets so into the music during singing time, that they have to put him back in his chair after each song. Silly little boy.






I took this one this afternoon while Nate was napping. Every time I watch him sleep it makes me wish I could record his whole life and watch back every minute. He's definitely sweetest when he's sleeping, but I know someday I'll even miss those temper tantrum moments, because my little boy is all grown up. This goes by too fast!

A New Baby on the Way!

As many of you probably know, we are expecting our second baby in September. We have a c-section scheduled for September 16, and early ultrasounds look like the baby is likely another little boy. We couldn't be happier (except for Nate, who alternates between saying, "Baby in Mama's tum" and "Go away, baby!).

Basketball!

Jake was thrilled when he found out that BYU would be playing TCU in Fort Worth--we've had tickets for months. So last Saturday we trekked out to the Big FW (doesn't sound as good as the Big D, does it?), and had fun watching the Cougars DOMINATE! Mostly my memories of the game involve standing in the concession stand line--Nate sure can eat hot dogs and popcorn--and the pre-game wait outside. (Jake had ordered tickets with a friend who was then late, and we couldn't get the tickets from will call since they weren't under our name. I rarely see Jake mad, but when it comes to being on time to a BYU game, you don't mess with him.) Luckily there was a giant blow-up horned frog, acorns to drop down a grate, and a cute little girl named Lucy to keep Nate entertained.

Snow Day!

So, our little family moved to Dallas, Texas in large part to escape snowy weather. Of course it makes perfect sense for Dallas to receive record snowfall our first winter here. Murphy's Law. Jake took a snow day from work and we had a blast watching Nate enjoy the snow. Nate remembered snow from when we got it at Christmas, and immediately set to work throwing snowballs at our fence. He kept at it for almost an hour, until his mama's tail feathers were frozen and I made him go inside. He threw an amazing temper tantrum befitting his two-year-old self. Next winter we'll ship him off to his grandparents and he can have snow all winter long!






Nothing warms a boy up like Oreo cookies and a little wrestling with Daddy. Each time I asked Nate to smile, he also closed his eyes, so the pictures are either open-eyes, no smile or closed-eyes, mischievous smile. That's my guy!

I love my boys!!

Here's a few pictures I've taken of Nathan and his daddy over the last month. It's easy to see why I love my boys! Nate's a clone of Jake in looks and temperament (although Nate is more stubborn than Jake), and they both make me so happy.



Nate is becoming super-independent. He gave up his pacifiers for good on Friday, and has been sleeping well. I'm continually amazed at how adaptable my little guy is. Nate & I went to Toys-R-Us and let him choose a Woody & a Buzz (from Toy Story). He gave the clerk a bag with his pacifiers, and the clerk gave him his toys. We were expecting a difficult bedtime, but Nate just snuggled his Woody, and went to sleep just fine. Naptimes are another story though . . .

Here's a picture Little Mr. Independent took of himself.


Finally, Nate's gotten more adventurous with putting things on his head. He used to never wear a hat, and now it's hard to get him out of them. He wears his baseball cap in the tub, his fireman hat to brush his teeth, and loves playing with a toolkit complete with hard hat.


I couldn't resist the comparison with Papa in this one. Sorry Dad, it's just too funny. Fearless Fly rides again!

Catch up

So, this post will have a lot of pictures that I have promised in previous posts, plus what's been going on since November. Bear with me! I think I'll start with most recent, then play catch up.

We spent Christmas here in Dallas. It was so much fun to see Nate's eyes on Christmas morning when he saw all his presents under the tree. He's gotten to really understand the whole present thing, since he visited family in Utah at the start of December and received his birthday and Christmas gifts from them then, so on Christmas morning he totally dug in. The kid was spoiled rotten by everybody, as usual. We've had a lot of fun over the last week playing with all his great new toys--thanks grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for all the awesome presents!





Christmas Eve it snowed here. Yuck. That's part of why we moved here, to avoid snow, and what do we get, but a "Christmas miracle." We only got an inch or so, but it stuck around until Christmas morning, and we played outside in it after we opened presents. It was Nate's first time to really play in the snow--even though he's been around it before, he was either too young or it was too dang cold to get out and play. Nate quickly caught on to Jake's snowball throwing lessons, and I tried to help him build a snowman, but as soon as it was done, he knocked it over. Nate loved walking in the snow, and kept saying, "Fing (fingers), cold!"







Nate's birthday was fun. The highlight was his new trike, which he calls his bike. He got on it for a minute or two, then discovered the handle for parents to use to push their child. After that, all he's wanted to do is push his trike. We're quite the sight, Nate & I walking around the neighborhood, pushing a trike. We took him to Chili's for his birthday dinner, and he surprised me by actually eating all of his grilled cheese (if you know him well, you know this is quite the accomplishment for my picky eater). Even after the whole sandwich, he still had room for a big piece of cake, eaten much more neatly than was last year's. Below are pictures of all 3 of his birthday cakes, the one he had with us here, and the ones he had with the Barney and Howard families when we visited earlier this month.






Here are some favorite pictures from our trip to Utah. We missed Jake, who couldn't come because of training at his new job with the firm, but he came through like a champ with some gorgeous flowers for me for our 6th anniversary! It was fun to be around family, eat at my old favorite restaurants, and just relax. Sadly, Nate & I both had colds for much of the trip, so we didn't get to see much of Kale & Brynlee. On a happy note though, Nate finally warmed up to Brenda long enough for me to snap their picture--it took two years, but it finally happened!






Below are some pictures from Halloween and other randomness that is a couple of months old . . . better late than never, right?











Nate has become quite the jumper and dancer over the past few weeks. Sometimes I'll catch him dancing and singing along with his favorite PBS show, "Super Why." I really need to catch it on tape, it's too cute for words. I'll end with Nate quotes/what he's been saying lately.

"Nate want ____"
"Hey!" (I've realized I start most sentences with this word.)
"Oh, yeah!"
"Sure, true."
"Big hug, lil hug."
"One. Ah, ah, ah. Two. Ah, ah, ah." (Props to the Count on Sesame Street!)