J is Growing Up

Hey! I'm going through a spurt right now of adding posts. Enjoy it while it lasts! Anyway, J is so cute! He is 6 weeks old today, and I was able to snap a smiling photo yesterday of him. He's such a great baby, mellow, eating and sleeping well, and sleeping through all the noise of his siblings. We are truly blessed to have a mellow boy at this point in our family's life. E, L, and T love him and give him kiss after kiss and snuggle after snuggle.

Matthew finished up his last class for his masters degree with another 'A'! Now he has to prepare for a comprehensive exam in May and write his thesis. Hopefully by this time next year he will be finished!!!!!

E and L both have field trips tomorrow - what fun! E is going to the Bean Museum and L is going to the aquarium! Aahh to be a kid again and be free to just go and enjoy. How great it would be if mom could go on a field trip, planned by someone else, with a sack lunch made by someone else and have no responsibility except to learn something! However, I wouldn't trade my kiddos for a field trip!

Great Recipe

This is a wonderful recipe for play-dough I received from L's playgroup leader a year or so ago. It uses kool-aid, which makes it smell delicious, and is really soft and easy to work with.

Kool-Aid Play Dough
2 1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. salt
2 pkgs. unsweetened Kool-Aid
3 T. oil
2 C. boiling water

Mix dry ingredients. Put oil in dent in middle. Stir in 2 cups boiling water quickly. It will be sticky at this stage, allow to set in a lump until cooler to the touch. Knead well. Now it should be soft and smooth and not sticky. Store in refrigerator when not using.

If I make it this week I'll take a picture or two and post it with this!

E learned to ride her bike down the hill next to our house yesterday. She is very proud and having a blast going up and down and up and down. I can't believe she's so big and independent now!

Welcome J

Ok, we are now a family of 6! J was born on March 18th, 2010, weighing 8lbs 12 oz and 20 inches long. He (yes, now its all even, 2 girls and 2 boys, 3 of each if you count mom and dad) is a very round baby, chubby cheeks, double chin, rolls on his thighs and everything! So far, at almost 3 weeks he is a mellow, content, addition to our family. His siblings are his greatest fan club, E just keeps saying he's so cute, L loves to sit on the couch and hold him, and T is very concerned if he ever hears J cry.

We're lucky to have him here with us, during his birth the cord was wrapped around his neck, abdomen, and feet. I was admitted to the hospital about 10 days before his due date because there was too much fluid, and the doctors were worried about my water breaking and the cord prolapsing. When he was born, he was purple but quickly recovered! J is so healthy - at his 2 week appointment he was already 9lbs 5 oz! Enjoy the pics!

L Talking!

Here are a couple videos taken today. The 1st one is of E, she is always thinking of words that don't fit into the rules she is learning at school, and this is her telling us about one of them!

The second one is an impromptu video I took of L when she was asking her Dad for some water. I took it with my camera, not camcorder so quality isn't great, but you can hear her say "I want more water." "Give me water." "Pretty Please." "Thank you." and "I love Dad." I made the mistake of turning it off too quickly and just missed her saying "I love mom!" Anyway, L has only had her CI for about 6 months, so she's doing well trying to talk and get what she needs!

I'm so behind!

Oh my, I can't believe it has been almost a year with out any updates, only videos! Anyway, here's a quick update: E learned to ride a two-wheel bike, started kindergarten, swimming lessons, and reading. She is currently starting to read chapter books. I can't believe how she has grown!
L started preschool at our neighborhood school last spring, and continued there this fall, through December, but we decided to send her to a different preschool because . . . in August she received a cochlear implant, and the new school has a huge focus on learning to listen and talk. She misses her old class and friends and interpreter, but loves going to her new school. She's saying many new things, and even E is excited because 'she'll be easier to play with when she talks!' She still depends on ASL for most of her communication, but her listening skills are coming right along.
T is growing up too, he is now 17 months old, and is so funny! He doesn't say many words, but signs like crazy - that's normal for kids who are surrounded by sign language, so no worries. He wants to be as big as his sisters but just doesn't know how to get there yet.
Matthew is in his last semester at BYU for his masters degree. He submitted two papers to different symposiums and has been accepted to present at both, and has been taking care of his family and other responsibilities.
I am just here, taking care of my family and living one day at a time. Surprise! We are expecting our fourth child the end of March! Don't know if it is a boy or girl, but all the kids are excited to meet the new baby.
That's about all for now!

ABC Song

Here is a video that L's preschool teacher from her previous preschool sent. Right next to L is her best friend from that class. Her friend's mom taught her the ABC's in sign language, and L was so excited when she realized that her friend knew how to sign! It's too cute, I had to share, thanks to Sue for sending me this video!