lick away your tears?

Brie just bonked her head and was crying.  One little tear came down from her eye.  I asked Alex if he could give her a kiss.  He leaned over and made a kissing sound.  Then with his little index finger he wiped away Brie's tear...he stuck his finger in his mouth and licked it.  Not what I was expecting, but too cute and too funny.  Oh those two :0)

P.S. Sheets siblings, do you remember how Samantha Sue used to literally lick away tears? ;0)

first kisses.

Sunday night, after some friends left, the four of us (and our little lemon ;0)) sat on the couch and watched the rain storm as it finished.  Alex had Blueberry with him and gave it a big kiss.  I asked if he could give Brie a kiss.  Sure enough he slowly leaned his head towards hers, puckered up his lips, pulled his head away and made a kissing sound.  Just a few seconds off but so adorable.  I proceeded to ask if he could give me a kiss, which he did!  Oh the sweetest thing.  It reminded me of when Brie first started giving kisses.  Lastly, he gave his Dada a kiss.  I was on cloud nine watching him sweetly give his little kisses. Oh the simple joys of life :0)

Not a Red Letter Day...

...or a Milestone Month, but it's time for an update on our little man :0)

Alex is 16 months old.

• In the middle of July, at a much belated 1yr appointment, an almost 15 month Alex weighed 20 lb. 12 oz. and measured 31.5".  He is our little light weight--57th percentile for height and 4th for weight.  We're working on bulking him up.  His new favorite is a chocolate banana smoothie (chocolate protein powder, whole milk, banana, milled flax seed, pecans and ice).
• His talking is really starting to take off.  In Disneyland we realized that he could say all the names of my family members: Bahm pa (Bompa), may may (Mémé), Num num (Em), way (Rach), Mah (Matt), im (Tim) and he says Dada, Da-ee (daddy), Mama, Maw-ee (mommy) and Bwee (Brie). He likes to wave and say, "hi" in his sweet chirpy little voice when we pass people at the grocery store and sometimes says "bye" as people leave.  He says, "dains" (thanks) and "ease" (please).  "Dow" (down) and "ow" (out) when he wants out of his crib or highchair.  Hmm, what else?  Oh he says "yay" when he gets excited about something.  "Foo" (food) and "wa wa" (water).  Sometimes when I ask him if he wants more of something he excitedly mutters under his breath, "yeah, yeah, yeah."  Oh yeah, one more..."diwee" (silly) :0)
• Three words, ACTIVE and MOBILE!  He is all over the place.  Plus he's got a little mischievous side so he'll do something that he knows is shouldn't then he runs away laughing.  For instance he'll throw his sippy cup away and head down the hall as fast as he can.  If I turn for a second or two he's on the kitchen table doing a little victory dance or on my desk playing with the blinds.  He loves to climb into his high chair and thankfully is occupied for awhile if I give him snacks or unbuckle his buckle...so that he can rebuckle it, over and over again.  When we go outside he takes off down the sidewalk.  Of course I run after him so now he thinks it's a game and just runs faster.  Oh that little man :0)
• He is so patient.  Recently with morning sickness I have been napping and resting a lot!  Often he'll wake up from his nap before I'm ready to get up.  He'll sit up in his peapod (mini tent for kids) and talk to himself for awhile.  When I can tell it's getting old I'll go and get him...no matter how long he's had to wait he greets me with a smile.  Speaking of napping he generally takes two naps a day still.  9-11 then 1-3 or so.  I'm so grateful to have that time to get things done, nap, or to spend with Brie.
• He HATES having his diaper changed and is SO squirmy.  Not favorite times of the day for either of us ;0)  Speaking of, he does know how to say "bum".  (I tell him not to touch his bum because he's poopy, so what does he do?  He says bum then touches it.  How do I break him of that one?)
• He is a pretty good eater, but does much better when he's in a high chair and we can plop his food on his tray.  He picks up fistfuls and shoves it in his mouth.  As already mentioned, he can make quite the mess...oh the fall out zone and our floor that will never be the same ;0)
• He likes to give "snuggles" especially to His Dada or to Brie.  If Brie's laying on her bed it entails him climbing up with his blankie and laying his head on her.  If we ask for snuggles at other times he slowly leans his head towards the person to gently nudge their head.  It's pretty cute.
• I have recently started calling him "tweet, tweet" which I guess is a motherese version of "sweet, sweet"...because of the sweetie he is.  Another one of my favorite nicknames for him, made up by Brie, is Alagher (don't know how to spell it, but that is how it sounds).
• About a month ago I mentioned to Brie that we were going to say a prayer before eating.  I look over and there is Alex folding his arms!  I don't expect it to happen with each prayer, but encourage it when it does.  So cute that he figured that one out on his own.
• He has a purple monkey named "blueberry" that Ruth Anne gave him a few months back.  He loves to carry it around and it's little round face is often wet from the "kisses" he gives it.  Speaking of kisses, he still doesn't really give them (a few to Aunt Em...lucky!), but has started making a kissing sound when we mention kisses. 
• He still loves to tease Brie and often grabs her current favorite friend (one of her stuffed animals---it's currently a duck named, "Boucha"), snags it and runs away laughing ;0)
• He often puts cellphone-shaped items up to his ear and pretends to carry on a conversation with someone.  Yet another cute thing that he does.

snacks + blankies + movies = 

latest get-through-a-nauseated-day technique 

LOVES his blankie.

As busy as he keeps us, he is just so snuggable and loveable.  I just love that little man and am so grateful to have him in our family!

Here's to 5...and many more!

Last year for our anniversary post the subject line was, "Here's to 4 and many more."  Before opening the post, someone thought we were making an announcement.  Ironically this year, we are expecting the 5th member of our family.  Here's to many more? ;0)

It really is fun to look at wedding pictures and think back on our big day.  It was perfect.  But it's amazing how much Bry and I have been through these last five years and how I definitely love him so much more!  He is such a faithful, helpful, loving, fun, thoughtful, hard-working husband and I am SO grateful to have him by my side.  Je t'aime mon amour.

P.S. You think we look young now, just look at us when we got married ;0)

Blah.

I should be blogging, but good ol' nausea is making me not want to do anything...except maybe raid the kitchen for a little smackerel of something that sounds good.  Feeling kind of blah at the moment.

Yesterday was hands down my hardest day so far this pregnancy.  I felt SO yucky all day long.  By the end of it I was laying on Brie's bed while the kids played, counting down the minutes for Bry to get home.  I had texted him that he'd need to make dinner.  When he came home he took the kiddos downstairs, whipped up dinner, and brought me a bowl of rice (per request).  I eventually came down for a little bit but ended up on the couch.  He got dinner put away, and put the kids down...while I snoozed in the living room.  What a man.  Couldn't do this whole first trimester thing without him (couldn't do any of this parenting thing without him!).

Sealed Together as a Family.

oh that handsome little man.

Happy as can be :0)

Sierra, Ashley's sister, drove all the way up from Springfield to babysit the kids during the sealing, then drove all the way home.  What a sweetheart!  I was so grateful that she and Lindsey (Ari's birth Mom) watched the children so we could attend the sealing.

 Brie quickly became Ashley's Mom, Roberta's little hip attachment :0)

 Near the end of July our little family did an overnighter in Kansas City.  Ashley got a great deal at the Hilton and it was such a nice respite (swimming, eating breakfast & dinner together, catching up) from our busy Summer.  But the highlight of course was being in the beautiful sealing room at the new Kansas City Temple when Ari was sealed to her parents for time and all eternity.  What an special moment that we were so grateful to share with Ben & Ashley.

Thinking back.

Carthage Jail & Historic Nauvoo

Our dear Québecois friends, Jeannette & Jules, came to visit us in July (13-17).  It was a joy to have them with us.  They bring such a spirit of love and faith with them.  They are so grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ and it is sweet to be in their presence.  While they were visiting we did a day trip to Carthage Jail and Nauvoo.  The pioneers had already been on mind so it was especially meaningful to revisit these moving places.  At Carthage I was touched to think of how Hyrum Smith stood so faithfully by his younger brother, Joseph.  (I hope that our kids will similarly stand by each other.)  It also amazes me to think of the stamina of character those people had.  I really don't know if I would have had the faith to persevere.  On the drive home, while making final preparations on a lesson {on scripture study for the Young Women}, a flood of ideas came to me.  One main thought was how the scriptures tie us to our ancestors, that they too had turned to the very same scriptures to find peace and perspective to carry on.  

 Jeannette & Jules, on vous aime fort!

the River Bend.

 July 5-7, 2012.

I attended my third Stevenson Family Reunion.  These are no small undertakings, and this year with Bry's Grandpa and posterity being in charge, I got a small glimpse of all the work that goes into these events.  We spent the first night camping in Heber Valley.  What a beautiful location!  It was our little family's first real time camping out together and it was FUN!  The kids were so cute climbing around the tent, tickling us and each other and giggling as we simmered down for the night.  I hadn't anticipated it'd be so cold, so Alex snuggled with me from 2AM on (which was sweet in and of itself), but other than the cold it really wasn't that bad of a night.  Much better than I'd anticipated with two small children.  The second night we spent up at Heber Valley Girls' Camp.  It was so fun sharing meals, conversations, a game night, s'mores, team building activities, songs (listening to Heather so beautifully sing the "Into the Woods" song that she & I had worked on...adding our own verse.) and stories.  And I can't forget how I ended up telling Aunt JoLynn in the huge freezer room that I was expecting...that that was why, like a little mice, I was coming into the kitchen for a snack :0)  Good times.  I sure love the Stevensons and am grateful to be a part of their family.  Can't wait til 2014 when we reunite in California!

Favorites from the Fourth, pt. 2

While getting food prepared for our family BBQ, I looked over and saw Brie tiptoeing... try to reach some berries in a colander on the counter. It was so cute and pittoresque, but the lighting was horrible so I took her outside and snapped a few shots.

Rach thought of doing these pictures with the star-shaped.

A little bit later Elaine showed me the baptism dress that she had bought for Brie.  Of course Brie still has several years til she's baptized, but she saw it and wanted to get it for her...since her being baptized into the church (while attending BYU) was such a turning point in her life.  What a special day that will be.  

Seeing the white baptism dress reminded me that I was going to see if I could fit back into my wedding dress.  It was a little snug zipping up but I got it on.  That was a little victory ;0)

I came downstairs to show Brie and she went on and on about how I looked like a princess :0)  Then was time for a few pictures of Brie in my wedding dress (an idea I'd seen on Pinterest).  It was so sweet seeing her sitting puddled up in my dress.  Can't believe that someday it will be her getting married!

It was wonderful having dear Elaine with us for the evening.  Rach was so cute and bought Brie her own lawn chair then set up the back of her pickup truck for them to watch the fireworks.  Brie doesn't like all the noise, but enjoyed being with Aunt Rachie.  As always we listened to and watched part of the Stadium of Fire (well everything that shot high enough for us to see ;0)) from my Parents' front walk.  

Favorites from the Fourth, pt. 1

snuggling my little man :0)

 We started out the 4th of July this year at Bill & Julia's house for a delicious breakfast spread.  I have to admit that I was not feeling red hot, was irritable, not super social...and felt bad for being such a grump.  I wanted to explain that it was morning sickness, but didn't want that to be the way we broke the news.  In any case, I did enjoy taking pictures of the cute kiddos (I think it's so funny how we have the two brown-eyed kids amidst all the bright blue eyes.) and watching them play with their Nana Julz.  AND sitting down with Heather to write an additional verse for a song she was going to be singing at the upcoming family reunion.

First Annual GNO.

\

28-29 June 2012

This year my Mom, sisters and I decided to do our first annual GNO.  Aside from morning sickness hitting (blah!), I had a fabulous time.  How can you not with those three? :0)  Em made reservations at the Monaco Hotel in downtown SLC.  We did mini photo shoots of each other (while waiting for Rach to get off work), had dinner at the Cheese Cake Factory (off their Skinnylicious Menu---bread?  Long pause.  Don't know if we can afford the points ;0)), checked out City Creek, got frozen yogurt at a kooky place that only had three flavors (guava--"I'm just trying to taste the guava", pistachio and original), painted our nails, watched this random foreign film (where was the ending?!), had breakfast at Les Bruges, exchanged names and gifts (Rach got me CUTE sandals from Aldo...and foot cream), and finished it off with lunch at the Red Iguana.  Just wish I had more time to spend with those girls.  In any case, a BIG thank you, Mom for such an awesome GNO kickoff!! :0)

Back again.

For those of you who know Grandpa & Grandma Stevenson you know that you just HAVE to stay with them if you're in town...it's too great spending time with them in their home NOT to.  After our getaway and a fun night at the Hamilton's, we spent a night at their place.  I had to document some of the sweet moments between the kids and their great grandparents.  Brie had a serious conversation with Grandma about thunderstorms, Grandma spoiled us as always, Grandpa taught Alex how to "mmmooooooo" and delighted the kids with his lion puppet, Brie was THRILLED to get to sleep in the "big girl bed" in the pink room :0), we all cried while watching "17 Miracles", had root beer floats while watching the sun set over the Salt Lake Valley, and just thoroughly enjoyed our time with them.  We sure love those two.

Pre-5th-Anniversary Getaway.

While in Utah Bry surprised me with a pre-5th-anniversary getaway to Park City!  (Beth bless your heart for watching the kiddos for us.)  He even reserved the very same room we stayed in for our honeymoon.  Some of the highlights were...strolling Main Street in Park City * dinner at Main Street Pizza & Noodles * Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory * watching "Young Victoria" (we LOVE that movie!) * freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and milk * making breakfast together (especially our croissants creations) * going on a morning stroll and enjoying the fresh mountain air * lunch at Café Rio * and a session at the Jordan River Temple.  It was lovely.  Not to mention the beautiful necklace and sweet card he gave me.  AND thank heavens that my morning sickness really didn't start to hit til the next day.  What a wonderful way to start off our vacation!  Thank you, Bry.

P.S. Looking back on the third day into our trip it's still a mystery to me why I gained any weight on this trip ;0)  More mention of delicious food to come :0)

i just have to say it...

...because it's been on my mind for the last several weeks.  The day I hit my target weight I found out that we were expecting...AND the next day started nearly 6 weeks of travels, visitors and vacations.  I am SO excited to be expecting, just not so excited about how hard the Summer has been on my waistline.

road trips + eating out + little energy + vacations + fast food + resorts + morning sickness (which oddly enough made me want to eat more, not less) + getaway + buffets  + little exercise = a lot of weight gain :0(

I know that it's not the end of the world, but it's frustrating to have reached my goal and then to let it quickly slip away.  I've hesitated saying anything because in a way it feels humiliating.  BUT, I feel like part of getting back on the wagon is being honest with the reality of it all.  So weight gain and all, I'm making renewed efforts to get back to our routine and get back in better shape.  I may not be as slim as I was at the beginning of the Summer, but oh well.  (I am much less than I was when I got pregnant with Alex OR Brie, so that's still a success.)  I've got to remember how I lost the weight in the first place, by small and simple choices.  So wish me luck and cheer me on!  After all, health is not just about being slender.

Back home, for real :0)

Late Saturday night we pulled in back home.  It's crazy to have started the day in Disneyland and ended it in St. Louis.  Wow, what an AWESOME trip!  I think it was the best Sheets' Family Vacation to date.  We all had such a good time and I miss being with everyone.  But it'll be fun to look through the myriad of pictures and relive some of the moments.  As usual with the Summer, I am way behind in my blogging, but forget chronology...I'm leaving you with two pictures from Disneyland today.

Getting "mouse ears" was one of my favorite first-time-to-Disneyland memories as a kid, so I HAD to make sure and get them for the kiddos...all 3 of them.   Baby Graden #3------> 23 February 2013 :0)

AND, Happy Birthday to my Prince Charming :0)

I sure think the World of this guy and, with each year, am even more grateful to celebrate him on his big day.  Happy 29th!  Je t'aime.