Looking on the Bright Side

On Monday my brother-in-law's dad passed away.  I know that sounds like a weird relationship to me, but I really like his parents.  I've known them for about ten years.  I've seen them at many of my niece's birthday parties and family parties.  His mom was with us right before we got married.  They are amazing people.

On Monday night Josh and I were watching my 3 sweet nieces.  Yesterday I had another chance to watch the youngest two so my sister could get some stuff done.  I hate the reason why, but I've enjoyed spending so much time with my sweet nieces.  They are the cutest little girls!

If I hadn't watched them I never would have witnessed this!

If you can't really see what's going on here, look below

This is my youngest niece taking a nap behind a chair.  Pretty adorable!

6 months

This is a little late but I wanted some pictures and stats.

Weight: 15lbs 8oz
Height: 26"
Head: 44cm

His fun facts:

• Michael rolls over everywhere
• He laughs all of the time
• He passes toys between his hands
• He knows his name
• He makes 'mama' sounds
• He is more and more adorable!

There is plenty more I could say, but I'm sure the people who read this see him enough to know all of his advancements

Parenting Decisions

I have a few blogs I regularly read.  A month or so ago a woman posted about how she let her little girl read any books she wanted for the most part.  She even read To Kill a Mockingbird.  Her daughter was 9.  Then she went on about how she let her daughter read Harry Potter, but she was to scared to finish.  The mom then went on to say (of course after bragging about her daughters reading skills) how she refused to let her daughter read The Hunger Games.  This is what I pictured happening...

I'm all for parent censorship; especially when it comes to TV and the internet.  Then I think of books and wonder if they should be censored.  If I have read the book, I wouldn't stop my kids from reading it.  So if The Hunger Games and Harry Potter are still popular when my kids are older, they will read them.  But what about other books?  There are very few books I wouldn't let my kids read, probably consisting of anti-mormon books that are completely inaccurate, and romance novels.  For the life of me I can't see why they would ever read a romance novel.  I don't see where they would ever pick up an anti-mormon book.  So in my mind I'm really not censoring any books from them.  

Ever since that woman posted that story I haven't returned to her blog, I just think she's a little weird now.

I can't think of a book I would keep from them.  Is there a book you would keep from your kids?

Random List

I'm grateful for many things in my life; obviously my husband, son, and family.  So I decided to share some things I'm grateful for that get overlooked.

I'm grateful for Prilosec.  Not for me, but for Michael.  He's so grumpy without it.
I'm grateful for my ward.  I never liked any of my wards in Logan.  I didn't like the college scene, and now I'm away from it.
I'm grateful for Eucerin cream.  Again, for Michael.
I'm grateful for soy milk
I'm grateful for aloe vera, you should see my shoulders right now
I'm grateful for Conference Ensigns.  I threw our stack out when we moved because they articles were all online, but I love to have the conference ones
I'm grateful for Whole Foods. Why?  It's awesome!
I'm grateful for finding/saving mine and Josh's wedding rings last week
I'm grateful for DVR to play kid shows for Michael
I'm grateful for diapers, enough said
I'm grateful for tissues.  I go through a box a week when I'm not sick, a box a day when I am
I'm grateful for the internet.
I'm grateful that Michael slept the full hour of his nap and is telling me he's awake by making cute noises!

I want more of these days

It started out like this....

And ended up with a huge hug and way too many kisses!

There is only one thing I hate about babies, you guessed it, poop!  It's not only changing diapers when they poop, it's worrying when they haven't pooped.  I don't find comfort in force feeding Michael tons of fruit to get something to come out.  I don't like cleaning up blowouts, Michael's clothes, or Michael himself.  I hate when Michael pees on me when I'm changing a poopy diaper and I have to change him a third time that day.

Then today happened.  As I was sitting there changing yet another poopy diaper I looked down at my smiling baby and thought about how much I loved him.  I kissed his little belly until he laughed. When his diaper was all situated I grabbed him and held him as close as possible.  He attempted to show me affection, which for him is pulling my hair and skin really hard until I move him closer to me, and I knew he loved me too.  

What we've been up to...

Moving - We got almost everything moved in one day.  Half of our stuff is at my parents with us, and the rest is at Josh's grandparents house.

Seeing family - I've spent quite a bit of time seeing grandparents lately.  Michael has really enjoyed it, especially when he takes naps with his great-grandma Apple.

Seeing friends - Josh and I finally saw our close friends and their new little girl!  We actually joke that Michael and her will end up together.  We haven't seen them since I was first pregnant, so we've missed them horribly!  We have also hung out with some friends in the ward.  I even babysat their adorable boy one night.

Getting things ready for school - For the last month we have been waiting to hear if we have been accepted into the U or not.  We know we already are because our grades are good enough and Josh has been accepted into the engineering program, but the school hasn't "officially" accepted us yet.  Besides that Josh had to register at SLCC to take one online class that starts today.  On top of that we have to keep filling out form after form for credits to transfer and all that fun stuff.

Taking care of Michael - He has been so cute!  This move has been a little rough on him, but he is doing ok.  He turned 6 months old two days ago, how time flies!  I need to take pictures of him and post them...I'll get around to it soon.  Anyways, he has been discovering more and more everyday.  He still refuses to sit up.  We know he could with a little practice but he refuses to practice, like when he throws his head back and screams the second we put him in his bumbo.  He's getting close to crawling.  If I leave him alone for ten minutes I find him across the room scooting on his tummy.

Sewing - Josh got me a sewing machine for Mother's Day :)  I used it to make a table runner for Josh's mom, but it hasn't gotten a lot of use yet.  I'm still slowly cutting the fabric for Michael's quilt, so when I get done with that it will get a TON of use.

Working out - My brother and I are doing another biggest loser competition.  I can finally work out now so I'm excited.  In Logan I didn't have the time to run when Josh was home (usually because I needed to sleep when he was home) and we didn't have a treadmill.  My parents have one and Josh is now home earlier so I have an opportunity to do something.

Trying to figure out the next few years - We have a lot we need to start figuring out.  Like how many classes I'm going to take.  How long are we going to live where.  When are we getting a house.  Where are we getting a house.  Insurance (the only downside to Josh's job is that it isn't offered until he graduates).  If I'm going to work again.  How to manage having too much to do instead of absolutely nothing like we've had for a long time.  And many, many more questions.

Hopefully I'll resume blogging regularly soon, but it's summer, and there is a big yellow boat outside that's calling my name, and a wakeboard that has been ignored for way too long.  So maybe I'll go on a summer hiatus!

Parenting Decision

I've decided to keep up 'Parenting Decision' because I like it.  So here is installment #2!

Josh and I are not paying for Michael's college.  Or any of our kids college (unless there are extenuating circumstances).  We would like to, but I don't see it happening. 

I got a free subscription to a parenting magazine a while ago.  Last month or so there were articles about saving money for your child's education.  It made it sound like parents were penny-pinching to send their child to college, and I'm talking rich parents with 1, maybe 2, children.  It pointed out that saving $25 a week equals $34,000 by babies 17th birthday.  That's only $1300 a year!  Of course then I think about the fact that $1300 is my rent and utilities for 2 months.  Or paying off Josh's car.  Or Michael's NICU bill.  Or better yet, almost providing the three of us food for an entire year!

I looked at these numbers and was stunned.  Then I realized the worst part, this doesn't account for the price of college tripling every decade, and that $25 a week now only pays for this:

Community College

$100 a week is what gets you this:

Private Colleges

With the price of college rising every semester I just don't see how anyone Michael's age will ever afford to go to college.  Maybe I'll hold out on the hope that college will eventually be free like it is in most of Europe!

Sleep-Training

I miss this!  Michael's first month of life was spent sleeping.  Now it's refusing to sleep.  So I have started sleep training Michael.  I let him dictate his schedule for a long time because he was sleeping fine during the night, and my schedule was so variable that it was too hard to set a schedule.  But now school is over, for me at least.  I took my last final about 3 hours ago, and things need to change!

Here is Michaels proposed schedule:
Wake up     8:30-9am
Nap            11-1
Nap            3:30-5:30
Bed            8:30

Last night I tried to make Michael stay up later so he would sleep in (usually he goes to bed at 6 and wakes up at 6, with some meals at night).  He made it to 7:30, but still woke up at 6.  He took a little nap from 8-9.  Then we put him down at 11:30.  We tried for 11 but he got hungry again.  He slept until 1 by himself!  We were trying to get him to stay awake until 3:30, but he was very angry, so I put him down at 3 and he went to sleep a few minutes later. I think tonight will be rough on him, but oh well.  I love this little guy but I need some breaks!  With finals week I realized I can't handle Michael dictating Michael, he doesn't even know what he wants, and it's too hard to work around his schedule some days.  So we're trying this out and hopefully it works!

Photos!

Is any explanation needed for this cute thing? 

Lately he swings his arms and legs as fast as he can.  Usually he hits Josh or I 10+ times a day. 

Michael has been falling asleep in the weirdest positions and places.  This is on our bed.

He was tightly bundled before his nap

This one is just cute :)

His Easter shoes...I have an obsession!

'What is that light?'

Eating Apples.  These are by far his favorite food, but he makes the worst faces.

He loves this blanket!  There are days where he will sit and play with it for hours

I watched a neighbors baby, Jack, who is a little older than Michael last month.  This was when I was reading them a book.  They were also holding hands for a little while, and this picture was taken right after Michael tried to suck on Jack's arm :)