Henry likes tighty whities

Henry is not liking his diaper lately and asks me to change it all the time. I'm taking that as a sign that he's getting ready to be potty-trained. I got him some Toy Story underwear and he tried on every pair in the kitchen that night. I'm not completely on board yet as a newly-trained 2-year-old is a lot of work to take to the bathroom and I am still getting my footing on taking care of 3 kids. So I'm going to wait until we're both really ready. Or wait for Sarah to train him.

 My kids got to talk to my parents a few weeks ago via Skype. Sarah told them lots of knock knock jokes.

 They are doing great but I wish they had an accent already. You can read about their adventures on their blog. Link is on the left on my blog roll. Do you get filled with jealousy looking at the pictures like I do?

After skyping, my SIL Lisa surprised my kids by coming down from Logan with her kids. So we went to the park with Rachel's and Meredith's families. This is what Erica did most of the time.

I just have to say it's super fun as a kid to go to the park with like a dozen of your cousins.  Every where you turn, more kids you know.

 Jaana and someone else on the other side were kind enough to give Henry a ride on a longboard. He went back and forth for awhile. Then we went to Meredith's house and ate lots of food including lots of meat that Justin smoked all day long.

 I'm still very much in the "figuring her out" stage with this girl.  I can't help but compare her to my other two babies in an attempt to do what works. Here's where she varies greatly: she loves to be on her tummy. My other two would cry. I have a suspicion she would sleep great on her stomach but I don't dare try it. I'll just wait for her to do it herself in a few months.

Having a brother to keep you entertained doesn't hurt either.

The kiddos like to exercise with me in the mornings.

 Erica, predictably, loves the puppy gym. There's just something about an animatronic dog singing Bingo that captivates my kids.

 Henry always asks to hold the baby and most of the time I tell him no because either I'm trying to get her to sleep or she's crying. And he holds her for like 2 seconds before he's bored.

Sarah also asks all the time to hold her and she's pretty good at it. I just wish Sarah was big enough to carry Erica since Erica loooooves being carried around (like a true Dye baby).

 My kids fight. It annoys me. I hate stepping in and being the referee because then they start running to me for every little thing expecting me to solve their tiffs. But I also can't stand the bickering and sheesh, that is not the way to treat each other. (My mom is on the other side of the world smiling at this....sweet revenge). Since they couldn't share, I made up this game for them to play.  Henry threw the ball up the stairs and Sarah kept score. It worked for awhile.

This little kitchen gadget is changing my cooking. I hate, hate, hate overcooked chicken breasts and pork chops. This takes all the guess-work out of cooking them to perfection. I had a standard poke meat thermometer but then I'd have to check it intermittently and I don't think it was all that accurate. Then Justin ordered this probe thermometer with an alarm that goes off when the meat reaches the programmed temp. Talk about set it and forget it! So even though Justin got it for his smoker, I've used it in the oven and even in the crockpot. No more checking meat! Do I sound like an infomercial?

 This little lady can be so grouchy. Maybe she's sad she lost all her hair (just like my other babies).

But she's learned to smile! I love her smile. It seriously makes me all giddy inside. And I feel like she actually likes me sometimes and appreciates my efforts.

 This is the 6,000th picture I've taken on my camera.

If you put Erica in her crib at night, she sleeps 5 hours then in 2 hour stretches until morning, waking to eat. If you put her in her carseat and tuck her in like this she sleeps for 7 or 8 then 2 or 3 hour stretches. Plus she doesn't cry as she goes to sleep. I just have to walk/swing/simulate a car ride every night for 30 minutes while I watch a show. It works for naps too and I don't have to stress about her waking when I transfer her to my arms to her bed. I am going to have the strongest arms ever. And I'll have watched the entire Veronica Mars series in no time. (Henry slept great this way too until he was strong enough to squirm out onto the floor.)

Justin: Don't you just love basketball, snowmobiling, sports cars, old trucks, prime rib, trout, Alaska, shooting, Sportsman's Warehouse, listening to Jazz games on the radio, elk, bratwurst, and sleeping on the ground? Me: I love you....

This is a very over-exposed picture but I need it to illustrate something I've been thinking a lot about.  I don't like fishing. The times I went as a kid, I was bored. The times I went as an adult, I was bored. 

But Justin loooooves fishing. Like keeps-his-pole-in-his-car-at-all times-and-will-stop-at-any-river-in-the-proximity-on-his-way-to-anywhere love.

In fact, there's not anything he likes. All his likes are loves. All his interests he's passionate about, not just interested in.  We're on the cusp of March madness and I can feel the energy building. Hunting season and football season take over his brain every fall. Monday night football was on the TV when Sarah came into the world; NBA playoffs were on when Henry was born.(If Erica hadn't come so fast, I'm sure he would have found sports on in the middle of the night then too.) 

He picks the most complicated recipe out of my fanciest cookbooks for dinner inspiration. He won't leave my 4-runner alone even though I insist the tires and lift are fine.

And this passion applies to new things, too. I can't tell you how much smoked meat I've eaten since Christmas (I'm not complaining, just illustrating how Justin dives right in.)

When we were dating, Justin was wake boarding nearly every day after work. He still thinks it was his wake board skills that drew me to him.  I laugh when he says it but maybe he's right in a way. I think I was drawn to how passionate he is about things. With passion comes commitment and a desire to learn, to improve, to excel. Who wouldn't want to share a life with that guy?

Since there is no middle ground with him, he's fully committed and passionate about me too. Being top on his list of things he loves is pretty neat. (These flowers came after I had a string of bad days.)

So while I don't like fishing, understand football, get anxiety when he's hunting and have to beg to watch something on TV with a plot, I actually like seeing him love stuff so much because it's a great trait to have. To ask him to be less passionate about one thing because I don't get it is asking him to be less "him." Who knows what the ripple effect of that could be?

That's not to say there's no compromise and that's something we're still figuring out (I cry and complain every October when he packs for hunting) and there are some things I will never come around on (carrying a shotgun and hunt, being campground hosts when he retires, and I will never think getting the NBA league pass is a good idea, sorry babe.) But a great fear of mine is asking him to change so much that eventually he's not even the him I fell in love with. 

And we can't have that, can we?

Newborns are curious things.

These tiny things come into your life and completely take over. Their gear and stuff take over every empty corner of the house. Their cries and hunger take up all your time and energy.

 And then they demand all your patience,

 and overwhelm your heart.

 They want your best but give their worst in return.

And yet everything and anything new they do becomes a personal triumph and a reason to blog.

How do they do practically nothing but continually fascinate?

 And why do we take half smiles as payment in full?

And without hesitation we would give our lives for them. These tiny, helpless, thankless, creatures who turn our lives inside out, take everything we have and ask for more.

We lay our lives aside for them because we have to, because we want to, and because it's worth it.

 And because newborns aren't newborns forever. Happy 1 Month, Little Lady.

Brother and Sisters

This is how Erica's first attempt at tummy time went.  Compared to my other kids, I feel it was a success.

She just needed a little distraction from big brother's racing game.

 I hope they never fight. So far so good.

 My kids really wanted to decorate sugar cookies or cupcakes for Valentine's day but I knew that was a tall order with an 8-day-old. So we compromised on sugar cookie bars and heart sandwiches.

 Sarah was sick last year and missed her Valentine party at preschool. I was so happy she made it this year although she got way too much candy.

Last Saturday Erica was sleeping on the couch and Sarah wanted to lay by her and fell asleep. For an hour and a half, all 3 of my kids were napping at the same time.  It will never happen again.

I found these elephant pajamas for Erica and had to get them because Sarah had the same ones at home. This is probably as matchy-matchy I'll every dress them (much to Sarah's disappointment).

 So which baby is Sarah and which is Erica?

See these kids? Sometimes it hits me that this is the youngest my kids will ever be. Does that make sense? Like they are just going to get bigger and need me less and have their own lives and move away and someday I'll look at this picture and cry because this was when they were the smallest, sweetest, closest, and loved me the most.

 The TV was on behind me, in case you can't tell.

 This is a doll bed my grandma made for my older sister. Somehow I've taken ownership of it.  Somehow Henry thinks it's a motorcycle helmet and the handles are the wings. It's other job is to hold his favorite toys.

Sidenote: Erica rocked her 2 week appointment. She gained 9 ounces instead of the expected 4 and she slept through the PKU. She takes super long naps during the day but wakes up 2-3 times a night which isn't too bad since she just eats and goes right back to sleep now.  Those first several nights just waiting for her to get tired again are killer.

Erica's First Week in Review

In honor of Erica turning one week today, I pulled off some pictures from my DSLR from our big day to share with all of you.

Check out that chubby baby. I'm kind of sad I lost track of her hat.

Proud dad. There were a few pictures of me holding her but midnight deliveries do not a pretty mother make.

When I picked Erica up from the nursery the next morning, I about died from the pom pom cuteness. It almost made up for the large gash on her cheek they let her get while on their watch.

Siblings meeting again for the first time.

Elder and Sister Syme came by after a long day at the MTC.

Happy dad with the new crew.

This is how she felt about getting dressed the first time (and every time since).

I thought having the kids with us to bring the baby home would be a good idea. It wasn't. They were super whiny and obnoxious and didn't want to leave.

Henry figuring out who this little baby is that kicked him out of his crib. The night she was born was his first night actually staying in his new room. I've already taught him to say "Back off, boy, that's my sister."

Tiny, floppy baby.

Does Henry seem huge to you? He seems huge to me, especially his head.

I couldn't get Sarah to stop doing push-ups and go to bed. I do love her enthusiasm for fitness and sweatbands, though.

Henry is giving a doll a piggyback ride.

This is Henry's motorcycle helmet.

Even more ridiculous times two.

I will leave you now with some unbelievably cute pictures of my incredibly sweet baby. Happy 1 Week, Little Miss Pretty.

Happy birthday, new baby

I'd like to introduce Erica Mary Dye. Mary is my grandma's name. She was the nicest grandma.

The kids are obnoxiously excited. They argue over who gets to hold her and keep asking what her name is. When she cries, Henry covers his ears and says, "Baby crying! Get her binky!"  I think Sarah would be content sitting on the couch holding her while watching cartoons for a long time (which is what she's doing right now).

She's my biggest baby yet, a whopping 7 pounds.

After some crazy inconsistent contractions all evening Tuesday, we left for the hospital at 11:30. After waiting an hour for the anesthesiologist and wasting my time getting an epidural, she was born 2 contractions later at 1:37 am.

I like her.