Renn 2 months

We have been out of the newborn fussy stage for about a month now.  He still loves to be held and snuggled but he is more easily soothed at this stage.  Jed had taken this picture when he was about 6 or 7 weeks when he would go on an angry bender every night for a few hours.  We spent a lot of time pacing.  Good exercise.

The calm after the storm a happy, smiley, 2 month old and little chubbers.  

He likes to lead his people.  

I love when babies explore the possibilities of their limbs.  

He goes crazy with his kickers too.

2 month stats:  11% weight, 33% height

my little guy

Happy even when sleeping

Curled up in the swing.  Elise lovingly rocks him to sleep in the morning when I am doing the crazy get ready for school business.  It surprises me that this happens safely and efficiently.

"Spring brake"

I thought it was lovely.  We played every day.  I didn't have to make lunches.  It was so hot we were able to go swimming.  We had fun playing with our Astling cousins and Wheeler cousins.  We colored eggs, ate chocolate bunnies, watched conference, however, I don't think Jara's outlook was quite the same.  (see below)

Sorry cousins, she's working through some second grade angst. 

 She asked me just the other day if we could go visit you.

She is not plotting your demise I promise.

You may be asking why I would choose to share this, well if the whole school saw the final draft in the hallway I figure why not share it with the whole world???  No secrets here.

Renn's Blessing Day

Officially 6 weeks old.  Jed was able to bless Renn today.  It was a beautiful blessing.

We were able to have friends and family over afterwards.  It was a good day. 

 My heart is full.

Renn was an angel.  

He slept through the entire block of church and let a nice grandma hold him during the entire hour of Relief Society.  She is 86 and used to be our neighbor.  She loved my little family and still asks us why we moved!  Jed always befriends the little old ladies.

Introducing...

Renn

6lbs, 8oz

20.5"

He is so tiny. 

 I love this picture because you get an idea of his size in proportion to my hands.

Snarly baby faces are my favorite.  He makes this face when he is in a piranha like feeding frenzy.

He loves his hands and clings to me like a little monkey. He won't allow for swaddling because he sleeps with his hands tucked up by his ears in peaceful contentment.

You are sleepy just looking at this.  Aren't you?

The Name

Jed and I have problems picking a name.  You think nine months of being pregnant would be ample time to figure this out.  It's not.  I feel like you have to see the baby to pick a name. Also, in the course of pregnancy I change my name partiality 100 hundred times.  What sounds like a good idea on a Monday is a bad terrible curse by Tuesday.  Every child we have had is not named until the twelfth hour.  Social security/birth certificate officials breathing down our necks.  The pressure.  I also feel like a name has to have a reason.  Not necessarily a meaning but a reason.  Here is the reason for Renn's name.  I'll start with his middle name.  It is an initial that stands for Jed's middle name, both of Jed's grandfathers and my maternal grandfather.  Renn will be representing all the clans.  Now on to why we chose Renn.  I never would have thought of this name on my own.  Renn's birth story was a bit of a whirlwind and amongst the chaos I thought I heard one of the attendees in the OR addressed as Renn.  It clicked, a light bulb went on.  Later I asked who in the room had been named Renn.  No one.  I had mistaken the name with another close to it.  The name had been revealed!  This is why it takes me so long to make decisions.  I wait for the bolt of lightning to strike.  (Yes-shopping with me is a nightmare.)  While in the hospital Jed and I talked about other names we were considering but this one just felt right.  I think Jed is still holding out that I will cave and name him Eddie after all but no.  Oh and Elise is none too happy that we were calling her baby "Lehi" by that other name.  Her exact words went like this, "Why you call my baby Lehi, Renn!"  A couple of months ago she named him Lehi and isn't letting it go easily.  We also found that with a little combining and shortening, Renn could be a derivative of my maiden name and Jed's mother's maiden name.  Even better.  

Jack's Ski Adventure

Winter X Games+Jed's Ski Trip to CO=Jack Wanting to Learn How to Ski

The last weekend in January, Jed took Jack up to Brian Head and enrolled him in ski school.  I was afraid.  I remember when Jed "taught" me to snowboard."  I still have the bruises and it was 15 years ago!  Jack did much better. Even in blizzard conditions he loved it and "only wrecked one time!"  Jed videoed him going down the mountain and my heart skipped a beat when I saw how fast he was going.  One word-trees.  

The above picture is with his instructor and class.  

Jack is the third from the left.

 

Lots of fog.  Good thing my boy has orange pants.

Hopping off the ski lift.  Jack's on the left.  

He told me he liked the ski lift.  

Clearly he is not my child.

"I didn't need poles mom, dad did..."

I'm glad this was a good experience for both of them.  Jack learned something new successfully and Jed has a skiing partner now.  Next CO trip Jed, well, I'm pretty sure Jack is under the weight limit for carry-on??  I loved the excitement in Jack's voice when he called me afterwards, it made me forget the Pandora's box we may have opened!

Elise is the Ruler of the World

Holding her self-portrait.

I don't know where to begin.  She rules.  Listen...

-"I am going to pump your guts..." 

(Home Alone, maybe not such a good choice for a 3 year old)

-"You want me to pound you!?"  

(Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, also not a good choice.)

-Playing with the neighbor boy "T" also three

T:  You're a baby

E:  Indignant "I not a baby, I is a big girl, I wear panties, SEE!!!"  

And then she pulled down her pants in the middle of the road for the whole neighborhood to see her big girl panties.

-While at a farmer's market in Las Vegas and peacocks are strutting around calling "hellllp, hellllp" (tell me you think that's what it sounds like they are saying too)  "WE CAN'T HELP YOU!!!"

-While driving on top of a fly-over bridge in 'Vegas.  "Daddy don't fall off, I'll scream like a girl, WAIT, I IS a girl!!!"
-She has had a baby in her tummy since October and his name is "Gobble." She talks about him, loves him, and pets him every day.  She has also bought him clothes and eats special food (extra treats) just for him.  One morning I went to get her out of bed and she told me "oh my baby is hurting me."  Today she was happily playing with her toys and then suddenly out of nowhere stopped and got a big face and put her hand to her belly and said "OOO he's kicking me."  She has been telling everyone he is coming out when mommy's baby comes out.  I don't know what sort of exorcism Jed and I will have to perform to make that happen, but I'm hoping a trip to Wal-Mart to buy a dolly on our way home from the hospital will solve the problem errr condition.  

Notice how most of these sentences have caps and exclamation points.  Jed and I are seriously thinking we need to have our ringing ears checked.  She has one volume and never. stops.  Precious little pet. Life would be so dull without her.

A New Year

Cheers 2015

We let the kids stay up until 10:00ish, gasp, and gave them Martinelli's.  Jack's got a taste for it now.  We hope, unlike someone, he never drinks 6 bottles and flies off the mesa, rubber burning, in desperate search of a commode.  I don't know who that might have been!?

On to Resolutions;

Jed-piano 3 times a week (his teacher is kind-of the problem with keeping this resolution.)

Joshlyn-memorize a certain something I have been wanting to for a long time

Jara-25 AR points

Jack-"Eat good food to grow big muscles"

Elise-Clean up toys

We let them decide their own resolutions and talked about our goals from last year.  I love to see the progress they have actually made from year to year and how often it exceeds their expectations.  Jed and I, our progress isn't always so evident.  

2014 Re-cap

I asked Jed New Year's day "so was 2014 a good year or a bad year?"  

Jed:  Ever the optimist, "it was a good year."

Me;  Ever the realist.  "Well, what about.......this.....this...this."

Jed: " It was good because all year's are good, sometimes bad things happen, but you learn more from the bad than the good, and that makes it good in the end."

Perspective.  I'm glad he has it.  My world is happier because of it. I think I will forever think differently of "bad" years/moments...but maybe only in hindsight.

Happy New Year!