7 months!

Nate's Favorite things (try singing it!)

Newspaper, best when it goes in my mouth,
Crawling where ever I want 'round the house,
Graham crackers are a wonderful treat
Rivaled perhaps only by my feet.

I love to kick and splash in the bath
Camden is good at making me laugh
Flying real high, way up in the air
Eating all sorts of new foods in my chair.

When the teeth come,
When I tumble,
When I feel so sad,
My fam'ly helps me remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad!

Dinosaurs, cars, trucks, and things that make noise
Most of Camden's toys bring me great joys
Computer or any other kind of cords
I know where they are and go back for more.

Book baskets, tickles, trash cans, and apples.
Talking quite loudly when we're in the chapel.
Starting to pull myself up where I can.
Trying to get whatever's in mom's hands.

When the teeth come,
When I tumble,
When I'm feeling sad,
My fam'ly helps me remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad!

Pictures will be added shortly.  Love you, Nate!

Christmas photo shoot

 When you have two children who won't sit still, when you have one who looks like he'll sneeze in pictures because of the flash, when one likes to wrestle and the other likes to crawl away, when you have about 3 minutes to take pictures, and when both of the children are boys, here's what you get:

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Here are a few shots of our family Temple Square trip to see the lights.  It was soo cold and windy!  We got to see my parents and little sister before they went back to California.  The temple really is beautiful!  

 Some highlights:

~While we were there, we stopped at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  An nice elderly man offered to buy Nate for 115 million dollars.  Sorry, you're going to have to increase your offer for lots more than that!

~We got gingerbread cookies from Deseret Book.  If you haven't been to the updated one near temple square, there's a really cool train inside that "makes" gingerbread cookies.  Yum!

~A group of Madrigals sang to us.

~We saw Richard Elliot (or so we think) in the Tabernacle playing the organ.  Cool!

~A bagpipe player (who really needed some serious winter clothes on-not just his Scottish costume) played Christmas tunes for us. 

Cousins

Yesterday, we took a quick trip and a long drive to St. George for my grandpa's wedding.  I've never been to an all-white wedding before, but I thought it was beautiful.  The sealing was simple and sweet.   My boys were much better than I expected for the drive, even though it was long.

Faye was so cute giving Grandpa a kiss, but kids are too quick for the camera. 

Camden sure loved being a big boy with his cousins.  

They were pretty good sports about letting him tag along.

 

Grandchildren and great grandchildren (Camden and Nate) with Grandpa

Love you, Grandpa!

6 months!

 Nate is already 6 months old!  He is on the skinny tall side, weighing 16-and-a-smidge pounds and is 27.25 inches tall--which means he has less than an inch until he needs to be in a big boy car seat.  I can hardly believe how fast he's growing up.  

Nate's 6 Favorite Things:
 1. Camden laughing.  Camden jumping.  Camden running.  Camden squishing him (but not too hard).  Camden_________ (you fill in the blank).
2. People.  He is rarely grumpy in public because he likes to be around so many people.
3. Food.  (oatmeal, apples, pears, carrots, green beans, and bell peppers)
4. Being tickled
5. Bath time!
6. Newspaper

Nate's 6 least favorite things:
1. Having the toy he's playing with taken away (including if he didn't even like the toy--he still gets mad--or if he drops the toy he's playing with.)  Boy, does he have a temper!
2. Not being able to crawl forward.  He scoot/crawls himself backward until he gets stuck.  Then he gets MAD.
3. Loud sudden noises.
4. Feeling as though he's being ignored
5. Sitting in his car seat or high chair very long
6. Being hungry

Nate backed up and got stuck under the piano bench. 

Fall leaves

Ready to crawl!

Smiles!

Close to tears

Comparing Boys

 It's so fun to look through Camden's pictures and see some that are similar poses to pictures I've taken of Nate.

I love my little boys!

"True Doctrine, Understood..."

I have learned so much during scripture study these last couple of days. Alma was an amazing teacher! Related to a talk by Elder Bednar I posted on facebook a couple of weeks ago, Alma really focuses on teaching doctrine to his son, Corianton. Here's a great formula for anyone who wants to teach better:

Alma 39 - Alma ensures that Corianton recognizes what he needs to improve and the effects his actions had on other people.
Alma 40-41 - He teaches the doctrines of the spirit world and the resurrection and intermingles the principle of Repentance.
Alma 41 - He teaches the doctrines of justice and mercy. He also ties Corianton's actions to the doctrines he is teaching (see v. 9)
Alma 42 - He teaches the doctrines of the Fall and the Atonement and again includes justice and mercy with the principle of repentance.
Alma 42:29-31 - He ties everything together to show what Corianton should do, issues a challenge, and gives Corianton a responsibility. Not only does he remove the nagging feeling one might get from a lecture about what one has done wrong, but he spreads the focus. He didn't just teach Corianton these things for his own sake, but he essentially says, "By the way, these doctrines are essential for everyone, so go out and teach what you now understand."

Of the 91 verses directed to Corianton more than 2/3 are focused on teaching doctrine, not reprimanding or hassling him because of what he has done wrong. He certainly makes it clear that what he did was very wrong, but he then teaches the doctrines, or why it is so important to live the way God has commanded.

It reminds me that most of the time we spend teaching should be spent on the doctrines of the gospel. Here's the pattern for powerful teaching: 1-Specify a need that requires some sort of action in order to meet that need. 2-Teach a doctrine that gives a reason why there is actually a need. 3-Teach a doctrine that can lead to action. 4-Go ahead and teach some more doctrine. 5-Issue a short, specific challenge based on the doctrines taught. Obviously your teaching methods will be different if you are having a one-on-one conversation with a child than they would be teaching a Sunday School lesson or giving a Sacrament Meeting talk, but the pattern should be the same.

By the way, it's not just Alma who teaches this way. We're reading the Epistle of James for Sunday School this week, and, even though we haven't read the whole thing, I can see this pattern emerging. Look for it as you read the scriptures and conference talks. It's everywhere in the teachings of Prophets.

I've heard this quote several times lately, and even though he quotes himself several times over the years I think this talk is the first time President Packer used these exact words:  "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. Preoccupation with unworthy behavior can lead to unworthy behavior. That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel."

Hopefully you aren't disappointed having to read a long post better suited to a scripture study journal. I felt the power of these doctrines and principles so much that I had to share it. I've read so many great things lately, and I feel like they are so important. Maybe it's just my life situation right now, but this one hit home particularly well.

Just in case you came to see a picture of our boys (let's face it, they're way more interesting than I am), here you go.

Halloween

This year, I haven't taken very many Halloween pictures, but we had some cute kids!    We had so many parties this year--I think we dressed up 6 different times!  I'm glad to be done with dressing up this year.  We were sooooo grateful the weather was perfect for trick-or-treating.  Brian and I taught Camden to say "trick or treat," but he's going through a super shy stage.  At the beginning, he just looked at the candy  ground and waited for the person to give a piece.  By the last few houses, he got braver and used his deep, gruff voice to say "trick or treat."  Nate giggled at unseen humors the whole night.  It was pretty funny.

I found a monkey costume for Nate, so I thought we'd have two little monkeys (jumping on the bed).  But, Camden really wanted to be a tiger, so we went on safari instead.  Brian and I dressed up as Safari guides.

Anyway, here's our little monkey.  He seriously sometimes sounds like a howler monkey when he babbles.  :)

 Camden taking inventory of his treasure.

 Monkey and tiger jack-o-lanterns.  Camden called them his "tiger puhkin" and "Nate's muhkey puhkin." 

Camden loves to squish Nate. 

 Cute boys!

 

Brian dressed up as "Señor Estimator" for work.  Camden loves the sombrero.

  

Happy Halloween!

5 months!

Nate was 5 months yesterday.  Here are a few updates in honor of the Nate-guy.

I don't think anyone needs to be worried about his weight.  His legs are only a little thinner than Camden's, for goodness' sake!  He has the most adorable sad face.  (Not when he's hungry or tired--that's not cute at all.) We see it mostly when he's been startled.  I'll try and get a picture. He LOVES bathtime--without Camden.  He LOVES to eat.  He's started a very small amount of solids.  He reminds me of  Otto in "A fish out of water" and how he always looks like his food is not enough.
He finally rolled over yesterday.  He was on his tummy, then suddenly on his back.  He looked at me like "What just happened?!".  When I clapped and cheered for him, he did his startled-sad cry.  It was pretty funny. 

Dear Nate,

      Here are a few pointers that you should remember.  5-month old brothers make great race tracks, but shouldn't eat the race cars.  They also have pretty bouncy tummies for all sorts of balls.  You shouldn't play with toys that are mine, used to be mine, or that I want to be mine.  I really like to squish your cheeks and pull your socks off.  Wrestling and watching TV together are pretty fun. Car rides aren't really so bad.  You sure have to take a lot of naps.  

Love,

Camden

Camden actually tells Nate this most often:
~Go way. Weave me wone.
~I wuv you Nafan.
That's the true sign of brothers, isn't it? 

Distractions

At the beginning of September, we took a little break from normal life and joined my parents for a vacation.  We stayed at a hotel resort up high in the mountains.  It was beautiful.  There is something amazing about cool, clean mountain air--the smell and feel of it is peaceful and restorative.

At the beginning, we were on a different floor than my parents.  One evening, Camden and Nate were with me as we went to join everyone else.  The three of us waited for the elevator.  It opened and some people walked out.  One of them commented on how Nate had spit up, so I turned my attention to him.  At that same moment, Camden ran into the elevator and the doors shut.  I pushed the button to signal the elevator to open the doors, but the doors did not open.  The elevator had already left.

I waited there until the elevator finally returned, hoping that Camden had stayed inside, but he was not inside.  There were 6 floors above me and 5 below me, and each floor had 2 wings. Quickly, I checked the floor below me, but didn't find him.  After the elevator returned to that floor, I headed to the top floor to recruit some more help.

The elevators seemed to be working too slowly, so most of us used the stairs, running down one floor at a time.  I thought of going to the very bottom first, because one time no one pushed a button soon enough, and the elevator automatically took us to the bottom. I  decided to check each floor one by one instead.

I felt more and more anxious as each floor passed.  He really is such a cute little thing.  I started to pray.  As I checked the next floor, I thought I needed to go to the bottom floor.  This time I did.  As I got out, a lady asked if I was looking for a little boy.  (How could she guess?  Was it that I was barefoot, wearing my swimsuit--we had been going to go to the hot tub--or was it the expression and tears on my face?)  I turned the corner, and there was my Camden boy--in the restaurant on the first floor.  The restaurant manager was holding my little guy, who had tears streaming down his face.  She had just called my parents' room.  I'll never know quite how she knew who to call.

So grateful.  So very grateful to have my Camden boy back.  We headed back to our room, all the way at the top, and started texting everyone that he had been found.  How long had it been?  10 minutes? Half an hour?  I have no idea how long he was gone from me. 

As I read what I've written, it sounds like it went as well as could have been expected.  It certainly did not feel that way at the time. 

As I've thought about this experience, I look back to how it happened.  I allowed myself to be distracted.  I let another person make me think that Nate's spit-up was more important than my Camden.  It happened very, very quickly.  Yes, it was an accident.  I didn't know that Camden would run in and that the doors would shut within a few seconds.  I didn't know that the button wouldn't recall the elevator.  But, Camden still got lost because my attention was not properly focused.  


What other very small, very fast things can have large consequences?  This experience has made me think of how I must be focused all the time on the most important things.  I have to make choices that make the most important things the focus.     

I Yuv Uchtdorf!

In preparation for general conference this year, we showed a movie to Camden.  It's called "The Apostle Song" and you can find it on youtube if you search for "LDS Apostle Song".  It's great, but has a tendency to get stuck in your head.

 Anyway, the song helped Camden learn the apostles and the first presidency.  He knows them by name.  He was super excited to see his new friends on TV.  He would comment on how "Pes Ey-ing bald" or "Packer have gyasses (glasses)".  He would try to guess who got to have a turn to speak next.  His learning the apostles actually helped me know them better too.   Later we watched a few clips of talks on our computer, and here is a little sample of our conference day was like:

The conference itself was fantastic.  I can't wait to go back and study the talks again, a little slower.

4 months

Nathan was 4 months old last Wednesday!  It seems to go much faster with Nate than it went with Camden.

Nate loves Camden.  Even when Camden bounces balls off Nate's tummy, drives cars across Nate's face, or rocks him really hard on the chair.  And Camden loves his "widdle bwohwer".  He often says "Oh, don't cry, Nate guy!  Feel happy!".  I love it.  :)

Nate has the happiest smiles.  But he gets mad sometimes, too.  He likes to look at people at church.  He wants to be played with, too.  He gets pretty frustrated if he isn't up looking around.  Nate is much more liberal with his smiles than Camden, and we sure enjoy it!   He also recently found his toes and loves to eat them.  They are the best toy because they're built in!

Nate was in 87th percentile for height (26.25 inches) and 23rd for weight (13 lbs 13 oz) at his appointment today.  His doctor wants me to feed him on demand and as much as possible.

Happy 4 months, Nate!

Kitchen Repairs in Pictures

Long story made short:

Tube that takes water to freezer to make ice got leak.
Water dripped into downstairs neighbor's kitchen.
Took out floor to find leak.  Underlayment and subfloor very wet.
Found mold under sink.
Mold remediation=very expensive
Waited a very long time for mold test to work.
Waited an even longer time to get mold test results back.
Took out remaining floor, found linoleum remnants and crumbly cement. Fridge moved to front room.
No toxic mold!
Cabinets and oven moved out of kitchen and into front room.
Week or so for Super Man Brian (I bet you never would have guessed Super Man's secret identity, since he's pretty good at hiding it.  Now you know!) to repair everything.  Oven again!
Still working on minor cosmetic repairs.

Story is not so short after all.

 

Lessons:  1. If you feel like you want more space in your house, take everything out of one room and distribute it throughout the rest of your house.  Leave it there for one month, then put it back.  You'll feel like you have all the space in the world!

2. Less technological appliances are less likely to cause problems.  Making ice cubes with trays would have been so much easier!

3.  If I lost my oven, I just might make it with my crockpot and microwave!

4.  Mostly, I am glad to have everything back to normal working condition.