Sunday Smiles

Michael has really woken up to the world, taking on somewhat of a schedule of awake/sleep time (he still sleeps A LOT). When he does wake up, he spends the first 10-15 minutes or so just observing/cooing and smiling. He has a pretty handsome smile that melts all of us in an instant.

I loved this little Sunday sailor outfit that a friend got for him. I'll have to get another picture of it that include the pants...they are ADORABLE...in fact, Penny put them on today and they looked really cute on her too (as fitted capri's) ha!

Cheeser

I love this little guy

Dominic got in some last minute snuggle time with Michael before he had to leave for Alaska. Michael will be twice his age when Dominic gets back.

No Captions needed.

Dominic's 8th Birthday Party!

We were trying to figure out where to have Dominic's birthday party. We wanted to do something outside but our yard is not really great for a group of young boys wanting to have fun. So, Sean came up with the idea of going camping at Camp Nauvoo locally here in Placerville (20 minutes from our house). Its property owned by the church that they rent out for super cheap! There are caretakers on the property and you just call and schedule it through them. It cost us $1 per person to camp there.

There is a beautiful stream that runs through the middle of camp. There are a few hikes (though we never left the waters' edge). We heard talk of a hike up to crystal mountain, and saw people leaving with hammers and coming back with chunks of rock. We're excited to come back to do that hike (1 mile or so I guess).

In the stream there are some platforms (that I'm sure the scouts at some time built). Sticks and poles are used to push the platforms up and down the creek (its dammed up at one point so that it doesn't "flow" very fast and makes it a little deeper than it would be creating a swimming area). The water was up to Dominic's shoulders.

We had to tear the boys out of the water to eat, and again to open presents. They had SO MUCH FUN!

Catherine joined us too (with her dad and 2 brothers). She and Penny had a great time running around and chatting eachothers ears off. They flew around acting like bees "buzz buzz"

Presents! Dominic got a lot of great toys from his friends. Thank you!

Birthday cake...I mean smores! Who needs cake when you can have smores. Yuuum.

Penny and Catherine being bees. So funny.

These girls are so darn cute together. Penny wanted to wear her life-jacket. Sure.....go for it!

There's that blob of a Michael. He was such an amazing camper! That thing around my waist is my new nursing cover (www.getaboobtoob.com) that I LOVE.

The Dad's were good sports and stayed the night too. I was glad to have extra eyes to watch the kids, I think they had fun too. =)

We busted out our headlamps for the night. The girls loved it.

Somehow we missed getting pictures of all the boys in their tent. Bummer. We have a pretty big tent and they all slept together in it (minus one I think). 2 of the boys went home early with their families and didn't stay the night, but there were 4 boys and Dominic who did stay the night. They talked and laughed in the tent till about midnight, when I started to hear their voices trail off.

They wasted no time after they woke up. Apparently boating in pajamas is just as much fun as in swim shorts.

Yes, even baby Michael came camping with us. He spent most of the evening strapped to me sleeping. This was morning all wrapped up in a blanket getting warm by the fire. We stayed pretty toasty sleeping together under the stars with just a sleeping bag. Not a fuss from him all night.

She WOULD NOT wake up the next morning. I had deflated one matress and put away tons of stuff before she finally woke up around 930am. Lazy girl.

Getting a little more boat time in after breakfast. They went so far upstream we couldn't see them anymore, they abandoned ship and were hiking up the stream. I think they were trying to get as far away from us as they could so they wouldn't have to go home. They were having fun....

Banana Slug anyone?

BABY SWING!

After talking with Melody about how I needed 6 more arms to get everything done, she reminded me that baby swings are great. I never used one with Dominic and Penny because we just never had the space. So, I asked around to see if any of my friends had one that I could borrow.....and voila! Lisa had one that her little girl was done with that I could use. She brought it over last week and Michael immediately went to sleep in it.

Dreamy, I've been getting a lot more done. Like cleaned my bathroom (badly needed).
We still get plenty of snuggle time though.
He's too soft and squishy to pass up too often.

Penny still loves coloring on her easel. I would put it away and out of our living room but she colors on it everyday! We love it!

Peekaboo!

Hello in there!

Michael has started to wake up to the world. He's up for a few hours every day (an hour or so at a time) and today, he made eye contact with me and smiled at me a few times.

He knows the way to my heart.

He has started coo-ing. I love it. He's so much fun.....and

last night

he slept

for

a 5 hour stretch

without

waking

up.

Such a good boy.

I caught the tail end of a smile here:

(mom, you got these PJ's for Dominic when he was a baby. I thought of you today when I put them on him.)

He was done smiling by the time I got the video turned on, but has some good conversation anyways.....

Also in this video that makes me laugh....Penny rubs the middle of the "M" on her top lip. There is a little bump there like mine (Daddy doesn't have one Penny has noticed). She does this when she's tired or bored.....she just zones out and rubs her lip. Its so funny cuz her finger looks like a windshield wiper as she rubs it.

Wub her

Dominic LOVES to hold his brother and is always commenting on how cute he is and how much he just can't stop looking at him or that he really just wants to kiss him all day. I love that my son loves babies too.

Here was one of the naptime/reflex smiles...or as G-Gma Matteson calls them,

his exercises. Its so they can master the real thing, they start in their sleep.

Locks of Loooooooove

This last week has been CRAZY! I am feeling the stress of 3 kids. My house is never neat and tidy like it used to be (and I'm fine with that, my kids are more important). However, the biggest time struggler for me was not having ANY time for my hair. Its not like I spent lots of time on it when it was long....but it took time to wash/brush/slightly style.

I had gotten to the point this last week where I detested brushing it.

So, it was time to say goodbye.
So I did.

I haven't had hair this short in 5 years.

It BARELY fits in a ponytail. It will be PERFECT for summer.

the BIG D turns 8

Dominic is my Flag Day birthday boy (this year we bought an American Flag to put on our home on his birthday). I cannot believe that this kid is 8 years old. Time flies when you're having fun.

We started off the day with an

8 PANCAKE

and a big smile from Dominic. "Though," he said, " I don't ACTUALLY turn 8 until 9:59pm."

He has such a handsome natural smile.

We had Sean's cousins and grandma over for cake and ice cream and then he got to open his presents. No surprise to you, we are big teasers at our house and I wrapped one of his presents (the one I knew he would want the most) in pink wrapping paper.

hee hee....we love you bud!

The crew.

Dominic LOVES board games. He got a few new ones for his birthday and that got everyone talking about the "classics." We brought down Connect 4 and everyone started a pretty intense tournament. I haven't laughed that hard in a while.

Penny's favorite game is Guess Who and so Crystal and she "played" that. (Penny doesn't quite play it, but knows the jist of what you're supposed to do and loves to ask all the questions). In fact, after they put the game away Penny said,

"Wait! I forgot to ask, 'does yours have noses?'"

She's a goof.

See the intensity in the tourney? I love having Sean's cousins over....they are fiesty....and Doug laughs like my Uncle Ross (not QUITE as loud, but the laugh is there).

she put the birthday candles back in after we were all done eating it.

This was some GOOOOOD chocolate cake with cream cheese chocolate frosting. mmmmmmmm so good, I had some for breakfast (and by some, I mean a rather LARGE slice).

I love you Dominic! I'm so glad you were born and that we get to teach you and help you become the MAN you were sent here by your Heavenly Father, to be. You are an amazing brother and son. Your patience with our parenting is greatly appreciated......please keep it up (especially when you are a teenager). We're learning right along with you. I've never parented an 8 year old and you've never been 8 before....so this year should be an adventure. You have been an amazing help to me since your baby brother was born and you jump right in when you're needed. You're smart, funny, helpful, inquisitive and HAND-SOME! Thank you for 8 years.......and many many more.....

Ewwwwwwwww

4 of the 6 skunks that strolled through our yard yesterday

I mean, you're cute and all BUT....
GO AWAY!

Oh are we busy!

Michael (Michael, Mike, we can't decide what to call him really) likes his thumb. He doesn't always suck on it, but its so cute when he does.

My other babies are getting so big!

Penny Grandma came for a visit. We wore her out I think.... but the kiddos had fun.

We went to Cameron Park Lake On Monday afternoon and Dominic and Gma went out on a paddle boat. It looked like fun and we'll definitely go again!

Penny and I stayed behind and played in the sand while Michael slept. Its the closest thing we have to a beach around here.

Snuggling with Penny Grandma.

Some hello time.

Sometimes we're just all tired at the same time.

We love his fat little cheeks.

I've since trained him to sleep on his back thanks to a swaddling blanket that velcro's.

(this one was today actually...he's getting chubby chubby)

Tumble Time Gymnastics performance. So fun. She and Dominic have really done well in their tumbling classes. They had performances this past week and it was fun to see all the things they learned and got to show off.

Dominic was REALLY GOOD! Both Sean and I were very proud of him. He has improved quite a bit.