The Whole Reason We Showed Up

We woke up Sunday Morning to the wonderful smell of baked omelet wafting through the house. It was a big day. Ceseley and Desmond (Julee and Dan's nephew) were to be blessed that morning. We all got our Sunday dresses and suits on and met in Julee and Dan's great room. Dan's parents, Mom and Joe, Mandy and girls, Mari, Adam, and Desmond (Dan's brother's fam), Wayne, Becky, and their 5 kids (Dan's sister's fam), and Erin, Julee's "birthing coach" and her family were all their to witness this special moment.

Before the blessings, Julee asked the little girls to sing I Am a Child of God. So Layla, Olivia, Grace, and Caroline all participated and really added a lot to the sweet feelings of the Spirit that always accompany these special moments. I, of course, teared up as the girls sang. It was very sweet.

Following the singing Desmond was blessed and then Ceseley. They were both such sweet blessings and we were just so happy to be able to be there and be a part of it all.

No occasion would be complete without more food if you're part of this family. Everything we do is surrounded and supported by food. It's my kinda livin'! We had muffins, baked omelet, a few banana bars that were left over from a previous day that somehow had not been scarfed down (a new recipe of Julee's and an instant favorite!), and fruit salad. We were able to just sit around and enjoy each others company for awhile and wait for church to start. Julee's ward does not meet until 3:30! (So glad we meet earlier in the day and that we don't share a building. I think 12:30 or 1 would be the perfect time to meet though. It would give you a nice lazy morning at home without the rush of getting out the door.) A nice church service, and then getting out at the perfect time to have a few hours of down time before bed time.

All of Dan's family,minus his parents, left before church and headed to their individual homes. The rest of us had the opportunity to go to church with the Ellsworth's. After church we headed back to Julee's and began our packing because we were going to be leaving early on Monday. But first--we ate...again!

These were taken after church. We wanted some pic of them together. I PROMISE he is not hurting her...he just loves her and all Ceseley wanted was to eat. Again. Guess she came to the right family...

For more pictures and more info go see Julee, Dan & Baby Ces

Rain, Rain, go away

And it did. Thank goodness! There were some definite concerns on whether or not their would be any swimming for Saturday(7/5). Luckily it cleared up and didn't rain until much later in the evening. So there was lots of swimming. Here Olivia is pausing to get a drink. I believe she must have been pretending to be a horse/puppy. And in the one on the right, I'm not sure what she is doing but she reminds me of Gollum from LOTR. Freaky huh?

A lot of Dan's family came in that afternoon and a lot of the children swam while Dan and Julee got things ready for the cook out, and while others visited and held babies. Mom and Joe arrived around this time and were recruited for holding the baby(Mom) and prepping the food (Joe). Julee's "birthing partner" and her family came for the cook out too. I'm so glad we got to meet her, Erin, and her family. Such nice people.

It was all delicious. One of my favorite things we had was a soup that Dan's SIL, Mari, made. Gazpacho -- yum, yum, double yum! Julee past the recipe on to me and maybe I'll post it sometime? (Don't get your hopes up!)

This one was a little earlier in the day. Everyone wanted to "help" Ceseley with her bottle. I'm sure Will just wanted to jack the bottle. I love all the hands. So sweet.

On the 4th

We did some cookin' that morning. Ceseley and Will cooperated and slept quite a bit. Probably due to the late night they had previously had. We made several different yummy things. I gained a few pounds for sure while I was there.


We swam a little bit later and Will liked it better on this day. We let him sit on the first step and he seemed to like it a little better but still was very wary of getting any further in.

That evening we went to a cook-out. Some of Julee and Dan's friends from the ward had a get together and we tagged along. The food was very yummy. There was one appetizer with Asparagus and bacon wrapped around it-yum. There was also a fruit salad of some sort that had what tasted like Keebler Fudge Shop cookies in it. YUM! Not to mention the Lemon white chunk cookies and double peanut butter cheesecake swirled brownies that we brought. Oh MY! sooo good! If you want the recipes for those click here. Julee already has them linked so I'm just gonna be lazy and send you to her blog. Find the link and it should take you right to the recipe.

Ceseley and I in our Red White and Blue. I love this picture. She looks so alert and happy. It must have something to do with who is holding her.

I gave this piece of corn to Will so he could suck on it. I was shocked when I took it out of his mouth and some kernels were actually missing. Thankfully he didn't choke! Bad mommy! But such a CUTE picture!

Mandy and her girls got in that evening and they swam just a bit and did a few fireworks and then everyone went off to bed. It was a big day! I was reminded several times that day of how grateful I am to live in this land.

On the 1st day

We took it pretty easy and tried to recover from the drive. Will chose to sleep and me and Patrick chose to swim and visit. We did try and get Will in the pool. Don't let the picture fool you - he was not a fan! He let us know in no uncertain terms that he did not like it one bit. It really surprised me since he loves baths so much...

He much preferred playing in this box. He really had a good time. Isn't that how it always goes.

Later that evening I went into town with Julee and Ceseley to run some errands. Patrick and Will took a nap. That whole day Ceseley's tummy was bothering her so she didn't rest well. In the car she finally slept that is until we stopped. I stayed in the car and held her while Julee ran in here and there. We got dinner at Chipotles, yum! We really need one here. It's so tasty.

We returned ate dinner and got Will ready for bed. Patrick offered to do that so I could visit and help Julee with some necessary preparations before all the other family came in. Will put up an amazing fight. He didn't fuss he just refused to sleep. He and Ceseley were on the same team I guess and definitely winning. He was being so sweet (and a little delirious). Here are a few pictures Julee snagged of him "up" when he should have been "down" a few hours earlier! ahh children...

And we're off!

We decided last minute to make a trip to VA. We had talked about doing that earlier this year, but decided against it since gas was so high. On Monday (June 30th) we made it official. I called Julee to see if it was too late to join in on the party. So we got everything thrown together and left early Wednesday Morning (7/2). The last time Will and I made the 7-8 hour trip he was a trooper, but he had a really hard time sleeping. His neck would always fall forward and it was so pitiful. I saw this neck pillow at Walmart and thought it might come in handy. Wow! It made such a difference. He would just rest his head on the sides and he slept and slept and slept. I am so glad I bought it.

We arrived at Julee and Dan's around 4. It was so good to see baby Ceseley at home this time. We ate dinner and settled in. Will got his feet wet in the pool and did not like it one bit. Julee did a great job of recording it with pictures and all on her blog. So if you're interested click here.

This was my first time holding little Ceseley outside of UVA NICU. Not the most flattering picture mind you, but just sweet enough that I wanted to share it.

Average, Ordinary Days...

Not too much out of the ordinary has been going on around here. But I wanted to post some pictures of this little guy. He is growing so fast and has completely stolen our hearts. And since I can't narrow them down anymore than this, here are a "few" snippets from our lives.

Will had a major blow-out! So he get sent straight to the tub - one of his favorite places. One of William's favorite toys -- power cords. I can't leave him alone for one second. He is getting faster and faster. I walk out of the room come back and he is usually doing something I know the pediatrician would get on to me for...sigh. Notice his red knees. I try to keep pants on him so he doesn't get carpet burn-but sometimes I forget, and sometimes I need to do laundry...Will and Patrick on Father's Day

Patrick says Will looks like a "Hitchcock" in this one -- whatever that means?I couldn't help myself on these next two pictures. William had just had his bedtime bath and was awaiting his lotion and clothing. The second we lay him down he is trying to get away from our grasp. It is becoming quite a challenge to dress and diaper him. I wanted to add these but thought I might should do a little editing so that if he ever finds out I showed them to the world he won't entirely want to kill me. Happy 4th of July! Will had not been feeling well. I left him in the living room and was in the kitchen fixing dinner. I went in to check on him and he had crawled over to the french doors and was staring outside- one of his favorite places to go. It was very sweet.
Will is getting stronger and braver. Here he has pulled himself up........and here is falling down
Yee haw!
Shootin' the breeze with Dad Will goes to bed pretty early. He usually plays in his crib for at least 20 minutes before he falls asleep. I go in after he has given up the fight to make sure he is covered up. A lot of the time he falls asleep on his blanket instead of under it. When I went in on this particular night he had fallen asleep on his bear blankie thing. It was so sweet.

I'm it

Sherry tagged me and I'm finally getting around to doing it.

I asked Patrick if there was anything interesting about me that y'all might like to know and he couldn't think of anything either. Truth be told, I'm a rather boring person. This is all I could come up with. Thank goodness it only has to be 7 things...


1. Food Network channel is my most favorite channel. I could watch for hours.


2. I could play Mario Kart Wii for hours and hours! Patrick convinced me that we should buy it with our tax stimulus check to be good Americans and help the economy. Apparently there really is no other way...I'm a sucker


3. My two most favorite things about summer time are tomatoes and homemade ice cream.


4. I hate being in debt. I (quite often) go over our finances and see how much more money we can pay towards our mortgage each month. It has become kind of a game for me. I get excited when I find a way to pay more towards the house (told you I was boring). We have a 30 yr mortgage but we have paid off more than half. Yea for us!


5. I can be long-winded -- have you noticed???

6. I'm cheap. I do, however, like to spend money on things to improve our home. Current projects we are looking into - redoing the bathroom and window replacement. The catch here is that we have to talk and discuss doing any kind of improvement for about 6 mo. That's just our style.


7. I really enjoy working in the yard/garden. *Note* I usually begin longing for October around the middle of July.

Since I don't know all the rules of this particular game I'll make up my own and just end the tagging with me

Long Time Gone

And I ain't commin' back again - kidding...Time for a quick update.

Sunday, May 18th -Patrick was called to be Elders Quorum President. I felt a little bit like Sis. Hinckley when she found out Presdient Hinckley was called to be an Apostle - "You?" (Disclaimer - I have an amazing husband. It was just quite a shock).

I also got the news on said date that I would be released from my calling of 3 years (primary president). I was shocked by President Meredith's phone call and all that it entailed. So my obvious reaction? Tears - lots and lots of tears. Joy? Sadness? Horror? Could be any body's guess.

Wednesday, May 21st -Began implementing sign language with Will. First signs we are working on; "mommy," "daddy," "diaper," & "all done." We aren't too consistent as of yet. But we are trying to remember to use the signs when we speak to him. We are doing better.

Friday, May 23rd - Baby Food Day. I love making Will's baby food. It is quite possibly my favorite way to cook. So easy, and I'm pretty sure I can't screw it up too badly. Super cheap too!

Week of May 25th-30th - Spent preparing for my last primary activity - children's talent show. As always kids were adorable and fun to watch. We had quite the variety show - singing, dancing, magic tricks, poetry, swords, baton twirling, guitar pickin' cute kids! I'm gonna miss 'em.


Week of June 1st-7th - Teething, fussy, tired baby. Will now has 2 teeth that he so graciously reminds me of quite often. We are working on "It's not okay to bite, Mommy." I need a sign for that. Wonder if slapping counts? Kidding, KIDDING! seriously kidding.

Sunday, June 8th - Officially released from calling and it feels g-r-e-a-t! Miss the kiddos - most of them anyway- again, kidding -kind of :)

Well, I think those are pretty much the highlights...until next time....

Help

One of William's new foods is pumkin. He seems to enjoy it pretty well but occasionally it comes back up. So now we have pumpkin stains on several items including MY clothes, which is where I am drawing the line. I am going to forbid my son to eat anymore of this very nutritious fruit unless I can figure out something to get it out. I have soaked the items a couple times in Oxiclean but it doesn't seem to be helping. So if you know of anything that could possibly help, please pass along the info.

High Chair

I am pretty excited to announce Will's high chair arrival. Funny the things I get excited about these days, but this is definitely one of them.

I picked this chair out and had it on one of my registries. Billye and Haley actually got it for us via gift card given back in October. Since we didn't need it right away, I hung on to the card and waited for the day when I could start experimenting on William's palate. I ordered it Monday and it came on Wednesday. Patrick put it together in no time and I absolutely love it! Patrick thinks it's a little girly, but whatever...okay, okay. I know it has little green bows on it, but I really like it, and hey, at least they are green...

I wanted a wooden high chair that was very simple and easy to clean. The plastic ones seem to take a real beating, and I didn't want any places where food could and would become hidden. The pad removes very easily and is machine washable as well as the tray. It doesn't take up too much space either and is easy to move.

My mom had a wooden high chair that all of her 6 children used. That's what got me thinkin' about finding a wooden one. On the card Billye wrote that the gift card was for the high chair and that she hoped it would feed all of my babies--me too.

Anyway, Will has since had a few taste testings in this baby, and at the moment it still looks new. He hasn't quite started to "experience" his food- meaning it's not running down the legs of the chair and all over the floor and wall just yet.

Today we tried Avocados. Will liked them pretty well, and what he didn't eat I finished because I LOVE them!

Yard Work

While Patrick's been off from school, I've been keeping him busy working on his "honey do" list. We worked in the yard quite a bit last week. Olivia came over to help. Tuesday, Patrick trimmed some trees with the chainsaw and Olivia and I supervised. When he would step back, Liv and I would grab the branches and pull them away.

Olivia usually grabbed smaller ones, but when she came to this one and pulled on it without any luck she said, "I think I need a little some help please." She is pretty handy to have around.

Liv also brought me a flower for Mother's Day. She picked it out herself. I hear it was her most favorite of all the flowers she saw. For those who don't know what a Tobacco plant looks like(I didn't either)--this is it.

So now we have a tobacco plant soakin' up some sun on our deck. Olivia planted it herself. She informed me that I must water it or it would die. If I didn't think it was so funny I probably would let it die, but it makes me smile every time I see it. By the way, apparently 'Tobacco' means 'Thank You' in Spanish. I did not know this either, but Olivia is just a wealth of information.

I'm also attempting a garden this year. Scary, huh? You betcha! Joe came and plowed up a place for me in our back yard. Then last Wednesday he came to show me what to do next (Mom and Liv came too). We planted corn, tomatoes, lima beans, okra, watermelon, and a few herbs. So hopefully some of it will survive and be tasty. We'll see...

These were taken on the day we planted the garden.

Olivia is "helping" Will with his hat. You have to keep your eye on this one.

Progress

Ok, I have been wanting to update for a while, but we've been busy! I kept thinking I would have time but Julee is a master at keeping us busy! So now we are home and I have finally found a few minutes to give an update. It's actually pretty amazing what all we were able to get done during our stay. Julee's house is clean. Her laundry is caught up as well as Ceseley's. Her shopping is done(for the moment). Her flowers are planted. Lawn is mowed and seeded. Garbage disposal repaired. A laundry basket is stained. Ceseley's furniture is finally up and her clothes put away and all of her baby bedding in it's final resting place. And thanks to Mom, a few meals in the freezer. WHEW! My Grandpa Miller used to tell my Grandma that she could keep 40 strong men working around the clock. I'm pretty sure Dan believes the apple does not fall far from the tree. Julee gave us several list of what needed to be taken care of and I'm happy that we were able to help. It was fun, busy, and exciting stay, and we were sad to leave.

Now for Ceseley's report. Ceseley is doing better! She has been moved to the "intermediate" part of the NICU. She is still having some trouble regulating her body temperature and that affects her eating. She has been able to nurse and is doing really well with that. So now they are just waiting for her to keep that temperature regulated and hopefully she will be able to go home soon.

On Saturday night, me, Mom, and Will went down to see her. Mom went in first and helped feed Ceseley via holding her feeding tube up so it could drain properly while Julee held her. I went in after while she rested under the lights with her "shades" on. She looked much better I thought. She looked healthier and very dainty. Mom and Julee said that when the nurse mentioned feeding her, Ceseley stuck out her pinkie finger. What a little lady!

Julee sent some pictures that she has taken over the past week this morning. I thought I would post a few...