..easter 2013..

happy easter! we sure had a fabulous easter weekend, full of good food, good company and lots and lots of candy. i wondered if finn would be able to sleep tonight, after all the candy he consumed today. i guess we'll find out. ;)

our easter celebrations began yesterday morning, with an easter egg hunt here in bountiful. finn's first egg hunt! if i'm being honest, it was actually kind of a joke. haha there were seriously at least 200 kids there, and like 50 eggs. it was the dumbest thing ever. and i guess i should have done a practice run with finn in our backyard, because he had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do! he picked one egg up, shook it and was just so fascinated by it that he could have cared less about collecting more. and by the time we convinced him to put the egg in his basket, the egg hunt was over. dead serious, it lasted 45 seconds! but it is one of those things that every kid has to do once in their life, right? now we know to just have our own easter egg hunt, instead of going to one the city puts together. :) you live and you learn.

grandma came down because she wanted to go to the easter egg hunt with us, and she brought the boys easter baskets. so thoughtful! i forgot to take pictures of them, but finn's basket had a ball and the cutest little jellycat monkey i've ever seen. and sam's had two easter books and a darling jellycat lamb. she takes such good care of us! sam has been snuggling with his lamb all weekend, and finn loves for us to kick him his new ball, then he goes and fetches it. kind of like a dog, yes. ;)

this morning our day started bright and early with breakfast at village inn with grandpa jeff and wendy. they wanted to come visit but because we all had so many plans today, breakfast at 8 am was the only thing we could make work. it was fun to see them, and finn did surprisingly well at the restaurant. he ate all his food and stayed still for much longer than he normally does. he did fall out of his booster and hit his head on the hard floor, but hey, what do ya do? ;)

after breakfast we looked for our easter baskets. well i should say, we told finn to go look for his, since it was the only one the easter bunny hid. ;) and it was a big let down because he could have cared less about it! haha he found his golf clubs prematurely (they were supposed to be part of his basket) and after that he couldn't really focus on much else.

we went to church with grandma cindy up in park city. i like to go up to that ward from time to time, mainly to visit with old neighbors and friends. everyone thought finn and sam looked so cute (let's be honest, they did) and it was great to catch up with so many people i hadn't seen in a long time! finn was a little cray cray at church. omg, the child would not sit still. i'm telling you, he is the energizer bunny, this one. it's from one thing to the next, all day long. i have a feeling he's gonna give me a run for my money in the years to come. ;)

we went to a family party, hosted by the osborne's, later in the day. the food was so delicious, and finn had lots of fun playing with his cousins (second cousins really), or at least their toys. ;) he was a little obsessed with isabelle and olivia's pink lawnmower. ha but for real, we had a lot of fun, as we always do, with everyone there. they put on a a heck of an easter egg hunt. much better than yesterday's! and even though the only thing finn wanted to do during the entire hunt was swing, he somehow managed to walk away with a bag full of eggs, candy and toys.

it was a long day, but worth it to spend the time with the ones we love most. i'm a little sad, because i feel like i don't pay attention or get anything out of church these days since i'm so focused on trying to keep finn happy, reverent, well-behaved, not screaming and running around like a maniac, etc... i really honestly can't even remember the last time i went to church and felt like my testimony was really strengthened, or the spirit spoke to me really strongly. i'm not meaning this in a bad way, and i still totally know the church is true. i think this is just a period of my life where church is a little different than it has been in the past, and i suppose it's probably normal. i do need to make a better effort to actually listen, i suppose. but despite all this, i am so incredibly grateful for my savior, jesus christ. for his atonement and resurrection. he is the way, the truth, and the light, and i'm so thankful to know him.

hope everyone had a happy easter!

..grandma's birthday..

grandma cindy's birthday was on monday! we called her bright and early that morning to wish her a happy day. i tried to teach finn to say, "happy birthday," but all that kept coming out was, "happy, happy." haha too cute and hey, it works.

we went up to park city monday night to give her a few things and spend a little time with her on her actual birthday. she didn't want to go to dinner that day since she goes out to lunch with her friends on mondays. so we just sat and talked. carol and maureen were there, so it was fun to see them and catch up. and grandma gave us all a fashion show of the clothes she is going to wear on our cruise. :) she loved our gift to her (the photo book) so much that she started crying! i knew she'd like it.

tonight we took her to dinner at market street, and uncle zac and alicia came too. finn had so much fun sitting in the booth next to them, and sam loved when uncle z played "peek-a-boo" with him. finn got a little crazy by the end of dinner, but all in all it was a good night.

we just love grandma cindy so sooo much. i'd have to say that she is probably finn's favorite person on the planet. it's definitely a close tie between her and dad. :) we are lucky to have her and so grateful for all she does for us.

happy birthday, grandma!

..swings..

we've had so much fun playing in the backyard, now that the weather has warmed up a bit. here are some pictures from the other day.....

let's hope the weather stays somewhat nice so we can continue playing outside! finn has been in absolute heaven, roaming free out there during the day. :)

..hippity, hoppity, easter's on its way..

today we went to visit the easter bunny, and what an adventure it was! i had a feeling finn wouldn't like him (since he hated santa) but thought there may be a chance he'd gotten over that fear of unfamiliar, strange-looking creatures. alas, the fear has only increased. haha fear might even be an understatement. he didn't mind him from afar, but the moment we tried to set him on his lap to take a picture, finn lost it! head dove right off the rabbit's lap! luckily i was standing close enough by to catch him before he face planted into the ground!

call me a horrible mom, but i really wanted that classic "child crying on strange creature's lap" picture, so i made finn endure it once more. the photographer's had to be pretty quick on the trigger in order to get the shot, but it didn't disappoint! seriously the funniest picture ever!

hopefully finn won't hate me too much when he's older! ;)

..finnerisms, cont...

dear finn and sam,

before dad left for work this morning, he made sammy (still sleeping) a bottle and set it on my nightstand. a little while later, i was in the bathroom getting ready, when i hear, "nam (sam) baba, nam baba." so i go into sam's room, and there finn is, climbing into sam's crib to feed him his bottle! finn, more proof that you are an amazing big brother, and that sammy boy is so lucky to have you!

love,
mom

..sam is 5 months old..

dear sammy boy,

can you believe you are already five months old?! how did that happen? i look at you, and your big ol' tummy and chunky thighs, and you look older that you are, but still, i just can't believe you're already five months old. makes me so sad!

i don't know why, but for some reason you seem so much more of a baby to me than finn ever did. i think it has something to do with you being the second baby...i'm trying to prolong your babyhood for a little longer. i am just loving this age right now. you are happy and easy and, most of the time, just a joy to be around. you're bigger and sturdier now, so i don't have to worry as much about finn suffocating or hurting you, so that's definitely nice. but i wish i could press pause and just keep things the way they are for a few months. none of this growing up nonsense! it happens too dang fast. ;)

some things i want to remember about you as a five-month-old:
-you rolled from your tummy to your back for the first time on dad's birthday, february 27th! i set you on your tummy for tummy time, looked away for five seconds and next thing i know you've rolled over. way to go, sammy boy! you're getting really close to rolling from your back to your tummy, i think it's a matter of weeks.
-you can sit up on your own for a few seconds at a time. you tend to get excited pretty easily though, and tip right over. we're working on it!
-i still haven't started you on solids. i'm waiting until we get back from our cruise. call me lazy, but that's just one more thing to worry about packing. ;)
-you've been sleeping really good! 8-8 most days, with two 3-hour naps during the day.
-you eat. a ton! 4 8-oz bottles a day. hence the reason you're one chunky little monkey. ;)
-you smile at us all day long, and it is so easy to make you laugh. if i had to pick, i'd say this is mine and your dad's favorite thing about you. you are just so happy and we absolutely love it!
-you get pretty skeptical when me and dad aren't around, especially if you start to see a bunch of unfamiliar faces. i think you get worried we've forgotten about you! this secretly makes me happy though, and i secretly hope you are a momma's boy. :)
-i can tell you love your big bro, and get a big kick out of him. but every time he comes for you, i see the look on your face....the same look every time. it's like you're thinking, "uh oh, here he comes." haha it's so funny. i can tell you're going to be the best of friends though, and that makes me so happy.
-you love to play peek-a-boo. you giggle and laugh hysterically, it's so funny!
-you love it when i say, "bippity, boppity, boo!" and touch your little nose on "boo." that makes you laugh hysterically too. :)

sammy boy, i love you more and more each day. i never knew it was possible for mother's love to grow the way it does. before having kids, i always just assumed that you'd have this deep, unconditional love for your kids from day one, and that it wouldn't change over time. and it's true, that you are filled with an extremely deep, unconditional love from the moment you lay eyes on your baby for the first time (perhaps even before). but that love just grows with each passing day. i am so happy to be your mom. you make me so happy, and complete me in a way that no one else can. i love snuggling with you, and giving you kisses, and playing peek-a-boo with you and making you laugh and smile. my cup runneth o'er because of you, sweet boy, and i'm so grateful you're mine.

love,
mom

..finn is 23 months..

dear finn,

i can hardly even believe that in one short month you will be two years old! two years. where in the world has the time gone?

before you were born, march was never a month i particularly looked forward to or enjoyed. i feel like mother nature is a tease in march - is it winter or is it spring? it will be 60 degrees one day and a blizzard the next. however, my feelings on march changed in the march of 2011. i was 8 months pregnant with you, and i really felt like i was going to have you any day. i finished all the little details in your room, finished stocking your closet full of the most adorable, tiny baby clothes, ran all sorts of errands in preparation for your entrance into this world. i had baby showers in march, and went to lunch with friends to celebrate your impending arrival. dad and i went on lots of dinner/movie dates (since we knew we probably wouldn't be going out much, just the two of us, when you came). i awaited news of your friends' impending arrivals (jen, mary, chelsey, and april were all due roughly the same time as you). every day i woke up and wondered if that was the day i would go into labor. alas, march came and went and you didn't come, but now march will always have a special place in my heart. perhaps it has to do with the changing of the seasons (even if winter and spring do tease us all march long). the days last longer, the birds start chirping, the flowers start blooming, the grass gets a little greener and for some reason, life just gets better in march. and i feel like i have you to thank, in part, for helping me see that. just like with everything else, you have changed my view and helped me see the world as a happier place. i sure love ya, finners.

i look at you and day in and day out i see a little boy forming in you. you definitely aren't a baby anymore! i know you've been a toddler for quite some time now, but for some reason you are just looking so old and big to me lately. maybe it's the way we've been styling your hair lately? or the fact that you're starting to talk more and communication is a bit easier? whatever the reason may be, there is a part of me that weeps whenever i realize how fast you are growing up. you have made being a mom the most enjoyable experience for me. we definitely have difficult days, and there are times when i do want to pull my hair out because of you! haha but we manage to make it through and at the end of the day (when you and baby sam are asleep, in your beds) i seem to reclaim my sanity and realize what a privilege and honor it is to be your mom.

some things i want to remember about you at 23 months:
-you are mr. independent. you have a mind of your own, and don't like me and dad telling you what you can, or can't, do. you are no longer content sitting in a high chair at dinner, you like to be sitting in a chair or alongside us in the booth. you aren't satisfied sitting in your stroller, you'd rather by walking around like a free man. ;) most of the times your desire for independence is a bit frustrating, but i know it's totally normal, and we are trying to find a healthy balance between letting you exert your independence and giving you boundaries.
-still a major daddy's boy. maybe even more so than ever. there are times when you won't even come to me. breaks your momma's heart, but i know it is probably just a little jealousy (since i am usually taking care of sam, while dad takes care of you). i just have to tell myself, "this too shall pass." ;)
-major stranger danger. at any sign of us leaving you (with anyone besides grandma) you freak out!
-you've had cabin fever, big time, this month. i have too. let's just say, the fact that we've been able to get out more, now that the weather has been a little nicer, has changed our lives! haha for real though.
-you're still the cutest big brother anyone could ever have. you are in sam's face, on top of him, in his crib, carseat, swing....basically wherever he is....90% of our waking hours. you love him so much, and it really just melts my heart to watch you guys together.

i haven't been very good at keeping track of your development this month, sorry! i promise i'll try to do better. :) i sure love ya kiddo, and am grateful for all that you've taught me.

love,
mom