This week in pictures

 We set up the projector in the backyard last Friday and all the neighborhood kids (and even some parents) come to watch "Despicable Me," one of our favorite movies. 

(I liked this picture because there is a kid swinging on the right.)

 Kids put pictures on the fridge. 

Some are nice,

 some are disturbing. This depiction of myself was drawn by Rebecca and illustrated by Nathaniel.

(My favorites were 'slight stench of bacon-- probably related to her children 'wanting her for dinner' and 'forked tongue-- sign of canabalistic intent')

 I hold Will all day long. Sarah took this picture of him peeking over my shoulderer while I try to make John's breakfast.

See that hair? Looking kinda red!

You can't see it here very well but I have baby barf all over both shoulders and down my back. As the day progressed it got worse and worse but I never had time to change.

Peter caught this tarantula on our driveway. Then we put it in this jar and left it on Nathaniel's desk in his room.

After that I wanted let it go but Peter didn't and bought a little plastic atrium and it has been sitting on my fridge. He would stalk the front porch every night looking for moths to feed it. Today, I'm happy to report he has gone to let it free (into the mountains because my neighbors were outspokenly unhappy about the prospect of it going back into the neighborhood.)

 Rebecca and Sarah have been playing soccer with the city this year. Rebecca always wants to do it and then halfway through the season we are having to drag her to her games. 

Commitment is a hard thing to learn.

 Will hangs out in his basket while I watch for stray balls.

 John comes home with this infraction slip from music in which all the boxes for bad behavior are checked. 

Way to do something throughly, John. 

I let him roll out his own loaf of bread Friday. I came downstairs from putting Will down and this is what I saw. 

"It was my loaf mom." I was too tired to care.

  Charlie, dog of shame, won't look at the camera, 

and for good reason.

The other day he went busting out the front door as Rebecca was walking out and somehow managed to claw a fence or get a little crazy on the street and tore the living heck out of the pads on his feet. Blood was everywhere and I had to bandage them up and put these socks on to keep him from licking them. He wouldn't walk much at all the first day but is healing pretty quickly.
Stupid. Stupid. Dog.
Now he keeps waiting for us to take him on a walk, which I don't think he can do safely for a while. Bummer.

 Sarah and I spend hours looking at Will's luscious lips...

 *Sigh*

 Even John is sweet with Will.

 Took John to the Renaissance Fair yesterday. I knew it would be stressful for me but it was something I knew John would enjoy so

I took him and Peter got to do some homework in peace. 

(Have I mentioned that Peter is back in school again? We've decided to finally get his CPA. He's taking three classes this semester. It's super fun.)

Here are the people at the fair learning sword-fighting skills. John decided it looked rather lame and besides, "those look heavy." Very good observation I thought.

Let me tell you, some pretty interesting specimens come out for the Renaissance Fair. Those Dungeon-&-Dragons-types are free expose their inner selves. Yikes! 

 John tries to make fire the manly way.

But the best part was when John got to meet Captain Jack Sparrow-- in the flesh. I love Johnny Depp and this guy was amazing. He didn't just look exactly like Jack Sparrow, he had the attitude, the talk, and the swaggering walk down pat. It was too intimidating for John and I wanted a picture so Mr. Sparrow went and sat next to John for me. 

John was totally thrilled.

Will was busy looking cute in his stroller.

So there is my week for you.

Little devil

Here is my fourteen pound two-month-old. I was wondering if I was just overfeeding him (can you do that with breastmilk?) but he isn't fat the pediatrician says, he's just big. He's only in the 83rd percent for his weight but he's in the 99th percentile for length. So he's tall. Probably be like Nathaniel.

I knew I was in for a life-changer but it's just been too long for me to have remembered quite how difficult this is. I can't believe I did this four other times. Or that people around me are doing this all the time and making it look easy! 
I get NOTHING done most of the time. 
I pretty much sit around all day holding Will.

See those lips? 
They're sucking out my brain. 
It's true--I'm certifiably stupid. I can't remember things that I've always been able to remember. Even if I can think I open my mouth but can't seem to form words. It all just comes out as mindless babbling. I'm embarrassed to listen to myself. How can I be expected to argue with teenagers in this state? 

I've decided I'm not that good at this parenting a baby thing. I'm just not a hard-liner. When I was a bleary-eyed mess in the hospital I had friends visit and say they never stayed up with their babies in the hospital-- they sent them to the nursery. "You need your sleep. You're going home to a house full of kids."  I had never sent a baby to the nursery before. The second night I finally called in a nurse around 3am and said, "Ok, take him. I haven't had one hour straight in 48 hours." Forty-five minutes later I called her back, "Bring him back! I can't sleep!" She said he would be so glad because he was very unhappy.  Of course then I felt guilty. I decided to pull myself together and stick it out with him and asked her to bring in a bunch of crackers and cookies to keep me awake. I remember light was coming into the room before I finally got an hour of sleep.

Two months later I've bought the books. 
I'm swaddling and shooshing and Will is not sleeping. 
Wanna know why he's so big? Because he eats all night long. 

Not only can't I think but sometimes I'm afraid to even drive. I'm walking around in a perceptual fog with a glazed over look all the time. Last night I slept from midnight to 4am, got the kids off to school and went back to bed 'til one-o'clock. The day before that Will got shots and I held him the rest of the day while he fussed. That night did not go well. After finally getting back to sleep sometime early in the morning I slept through until 8:20am. "Peter! John and Rebecca are supposed to be leaving for school right now!" But he can't find the kids so I call the lady I carpool with and she tells me they were waiting outside as usual. I know the only reason John was ready was because he was king for the day at school. (A miracle, I tell you. And also, do you know how embarrassing it is to call someone to confess that you don't know whether your children went to school or not?)

Beings that I've been around the block with this before I know this time is short. I try as hard as I can to ignore the house falling apart around me and just enjoy my baby. I'm too tired to do much else anyway!

Taking pics of Will in the front yard (for Lily:)

Visit from the Mitchell Family

 Here is the the guy that everybody came to see. Will and I spend a lot of time just looking at each other every day. 

This is precious time for me. I'm trying to memorize the way his little eyes look up at me whenever I'm holding him because you just can't capture it on camera the way it feels in real life.

 Will and Grandpa Nat

 Peter's sister's baby Natalie Rose in the sink. 

Oy, she's cute isn't she?

Purely edible rolls on that girl.

 Big brother Daniel never wanted to smile for my camera.

Will in his blessing outfit as we tried it on him Saturday night. All of my boys have worn this, which was given to me by my Grandma Johnson. The blanket in the background was made by Pat Creer, my Uncle Tom's wife, and I've used it for all my babies when they were blessed.

 Sleeping after his big day.

This was his first time in shoes.

 Sarah took this for me right before I went into the chapel. The blessing was beautiful and my Grandpa Johnson, Aunt Carol & Uncle Lou, and cousins Ginny, James, and Leanne all came as well. Four generations of family was represented there. I couldn't believe our family took up two whole rows-- a first for Peter and I! There was a really sweet spirit that day as there was two babies in our ward being blessed. 

 Peter's sister Megan. This is the closest in age we have had babies in this family and Megan didn't get to hold Will a lot--Natalie wasn't sharing mom!

 Getting some love with Grandma Penny.

 Peter's other sister Sally unexpectedly drove down from Washington. It was really good to see her!

 Natalie's eyes are so big I can't get over it. 

The kids and I think she can see into your soul!
So fun to play with-- she squeals and laughs all the time.
6 months is absolutely one of the cutest times for babies.

 The last night they were here we had a fire and had some smores. The next morning Peter's mom said when she went upstairs to see Will as she was leaving he gave her a big smile.