Sunday evening fun

Lately I've been able to juggle being a housewife with being a mother better. Patrick is now 3 1/2 months old and we're getting our routines down a lot better.

So while I make dinner I often stick Patrick in his carseat with the toys on the handle and bring him into the kitchen with me, so that I can watch him and talk to him, because he wants to be constantly involved. Erin likes to come in and play with him too. She's sporting her post-nap hairdo.She LOVES to jump. She's constantly practicing. She's getting to the point where she can get both her feet off the ground about half the time. lolToday she also grabbed my hands and said "fa' dowNUH?" I was confused, but then she started to try to pull me in a circle. I guess she plays Ring Around the Rosie in nursery. So we played in the kitchen for a few minutes.

After dinner Matt made her a cardboard box house. We've had this large box in our room just waiting to go down to the dumpster pretty much since we moved in. =p I love how big boxes are just the best toys ever.

I love playing new games with her. I feel like I'm rediscovering all those fun things I remember as a little kid.

Erin sings

Towards the end she says to me "Seen! La la!" She likes bossing me around.

Brittanie vs the giant black jumping spider

So, as most of you know, I have serious spider issues. But I don't think I had actually qualified it in my own mind as a real phobia until today.

I was sitting at the computer, chatting with my dad, when a huge black spider JUMPED onto the side of the monitor, eventually crawling to the back of it. I VERY QUICKLY put Patrick, whom I had been holding on my lap, into his swing across the room.

This spider was seriously too big to squish, so I decided to go the catch-it-in-a-cup-and-throw-it-off-the-side-of-the-patio route. Saved me from actually killing the spider, which has the added benefit of no chance of being haunted by spider ghosties.

So I went and grabbed a cup, and then turned the monitor a little to see if I could reach the thing. It turned around and was watching me malevolently with its turquoise eyes ((shudder)). My hands started to shake. I sat watching it for several minutes. Neither of us moved, until I guess it finally decided I had lost my nerve and wanted to go on its merry way. I took a deep breath and tried to catch it. I didn't, but I did somehow knock of it's hind-end. The rest of the head-and-legs took off.

I had no clue where.

I gingerly sat back down at the computer, knowing there was no way it could survive long, when it peeked out from behind some of the stuff on the desk, again sitting and watching me.

Hands are shaking so bad I can't type, but I'm still managing to freak out via IM at my dad, who is very calmly talking me through finishing the thing off. He said get a broom handle. I did, and when I came back, the thing had flipped over, legs curled.

Good, Dad says. It's dead. No, my brain says. I don't ever believe spiders are dead when they're curled. I've had spiders UNcurl and run at me before. (hence the spider ghosties fear) I watch it for a couple of minutes and there is nary a twitch...but the broom would be knocking stuff off the desk and such, so I go for the vacuum.

After a couple adjustments, said spider is safely sucked up.


An hour later, I think my heart rate is mostly back to normal.

Long Morning Walks

So, the babies and I took a long morning walk yesterday.

Erin loved pushing Bee around in her new stroller.

Patrick got to ride around in the umbrella stroller. I am SO happy he fits in it now, it's so much lighter.We stopped by the play ground and I finally got shots of Patrick's new trick!And his hands again
We went past the office, and Erin insisted we go in and get a cookie
And then went back to the playground because Erin wanted to eat her cookie and play with the gravelAnd practice jumping

Presents and cake

We had our friends Dave and Danica, and their kids Jensen and Lily over for birthday dinner for Erin. After dinner we opened presents.

They got her a play stroller that is convertible and blows the one she got for Easter out of the water. She LOVES it!

We got her something to open too, a couple of matchbox cars.

She got sent this pretty little pony from our friends in Rexburg, Aubrey and David, and their girls Myla and Savannah
And then it was cake and ice cream. I was expecting it to be SO much cuter, but the frosting was a disaster (stupid kit). It's not as terrible as I initially thought, but still not what I wanted it to be.She was a lot neater about eating it this year!

Happy Birthday Erin!

Dear Erin,

Words can't express how wonderful it has been to have you in my life these past two years. Your arrival did so much to smooth away much sadness and heartbreak in my life. My stillbirth support forum calls subsequent children "rainbow babies" because they bring color back into your life. And you definitely color my world. I am so grateful to have you, even when you're being cranky. I am so excited to see what this third year of your life holds for us, and am looking forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you.

I'll love you always,
~Mommy~

"swimming" and fingers

Why the "" you say? Well, yesterday Erin and I went down to the pool. Patrick was asleep in his carseat, and he stayed that way the entire time we were there. Erin was so excited about the water. Until, that is, she got to the second step in and she was thigh deep. She looks up at me with wide eyes and said "Iss COE!" So we spent the next 10-15 minutes or so sitting on the side splashing with our feet, getting up, moving to a different point on the side, and splashing some more.

I didn't take the camera, because I didn't know what to expect, and I wanted to be able to give Erin my full attention. But I did have her model her suitI have to say, I'd love legs like hers.

And, I really do think that Patrick found his fingers! He's been "holding" them all day.

5 posts

So, I haven't been able to post pictures since Sunday. So I posted them in 5 separate posts, like I would have had I been able to post them if I had the days they were taken. So make sure you see them all!

Erin's "big girl" bed

So, Matt and I decided to get Erin a new bed for her birthday. Mostly, on my part, it was so I can put Patrick in the crib. But Erin loves it.

She was really excited to try it out, even though she doesn't look it...lolAnd then today I was rearranging the room, making the crib into a crib again, going through drawers taking out clothes that are too small...and Erin was sharing her stuffies.And making a general messAnd Patrick is now taking a nap in the crib. I think I'll keep him with me in the room a few more nights at night, but I'll put him in the crib for naps.


I have to say, putting the crib back together was a bit more emotional than I was expecting it to be. I was expecting an "oh, my babies are growing up too fast" emotion. But instead, I was thinking about the day I put the crib together for the first time. I was 30something weeks pregnant with Cora, and I was so very excited. And then I remembered going back into that room the night after she was born, standing in the doorway and staring at the empty crib. I wasn't expecting that.

I'm so glad I've had two babies use it since then.