February 2014

 This month started off with the SUPERBOWL. It was extra exciting because the Seahawks were in it! Gramma Lala sent the boys a fun package with shirts and skittles (Marshawn Lynch, the seahawks star running back, loves skittles and eats them during all the games). We had a little party with meatball subs and rootbeer and the Seahawks won! The boys had made a deal with Ross that we would all go to Culvers to celebrate if the Seahawks win, but if the Broncos won then we had to get Ross some  yummy bacon. (Ross was a Broncos fan). So we had a fun night out at Culvers with the Quijanos and the Beemsters where Cody ate his very own Happy Meal! It was a grilled cheese sandwich and french fries. He loved it.

We continued to get lots and lots of snow and cold weather.

Ben surprised us one day with tickets tot he Chicago Auto show. It's the biggest one in the country. The boys LOVED it and we all had a great time. Colin and Brannon liked seeing the fancy expensive cars and Evrett loved climbing in and testing out every car we went by...even the ones other people were sitting in. He'd just open the back door and climb right in.

February also brought the much awaited "Lego Movie" to theathers! The boys had been working to earn their own money to go. It was totally worth it...a hilarious movie! Cody watched for almost 50 minutes and then was done but I was surprised he lasted that long!

We had a fun Valentines day eating Freddy's Pizza and Chocolate lava cakes while watching "Ender's Game" together as a family. The boys had parties at school and Evrett had a playgroup party. I found a special valentine from a secret admirer on the chair I nurse Cody. I have my suspicions it is from Colin and the sweet boy thought through the first place I'd go after getting them off to school.

Pine Wood Derby!! Maybe by the time Cody is doing these we will be able to make a car that wins. The poor boys get so pumped up to win and then don't. hahaha. They both made their cars all by themselves though. Colin used his new birthday pocket knife and one cut himself once :) We called it the Zombie Apocalypse car. They at least had a lot of fun.

The end of the month brought a much awaited Girls Trip for me. Ben took a few days off work to watch the boys so I could go to Utah to see my mom and sisters. The trip didn't turn out exactly like I'd planned but it was still a good time. We got to see Grammy and Grandpa T. and Aunt Becca and Aunt Missy. Missy's kids are darling. They've been living in England for a few years so their youngest, Margo, has the cutest little accent. Being with Haylee and Lily was a lot of fun. I wish we lived closer to them.

And for some more exciting news my hip is doing so much better! I've been able to run 2-4 miles a few times a week around a 8 min mile pace with no hip pain! I'm careful and warm up, cool down, and stretch like crazy but I'm just so happy to be running even a little bit again! Sometimes I do it while Cody is napping and sometimes he exercises in his bouncer while I run and Evrett plays learning computer games.

We ended the month with Ben flying to Utah for his Grandpa Kenneth Johnson's funeral. He passed away after a fall that left him on life support. He was such a great grandpa and always made me feel loved and part of the family. He had a cute sense of humor that reminded me a lot of Ben. We were sad for the families loss but he has been sick for so long that it makes me happy knowing he is no longer dealing with the sufferings of old age. I'm just so grateful for him and his example. He has been sending the boys "Rock Club" packages for the past few yeas so we have a fun collection of unique rocks to always remember him by.

Cody @ 9.75 months

                                       

A weird time to write a post on Cody's updates-9.75 months-but with four kids I have to do it when I can.

He is a beast!! An adorable lovable, flirtatious, demanding, stubborn little guy. Sometimes I look at him and wonder how one little thing can bring me SO MUCH JOY at the same time make me want to CRY with frustration that I can't get a single thing done.

He is crawling on all fours now and sometimes does the army crawl.
He pulls himself standing a LOVES it. I see it all over his face that he things he is a big man with this new trick.
He loves to EAT but not easy food like crackers and snacks. he loves his meals-shepards pie, lasange, chili, etc.
He loves his brothers and dad but is still very very attached to his momma.
He knows how to clap and does do when he hears cheering or YAY!! Or sing patty cake
He loves to give big open mouth slobbery kisses
Dogs drive him crazy b/c he just wants to get ahold of them and PULL their hair!
He is very inconsistent. Goes to bed, wakes up and takes naps at all different times and intervals a day. (part of the reason I can't get anything done)
He still doesn't have any teeth
He only really likes toys the first time he sees them then he thinks they are stupid. He'd rather play with things that aren't toys.
He is average size for his age. Around 28" long and 20 pounds at his 9  month check up
He waves Hi and Bye
He points his whole stiff arm at things he wants or places he wants to go. Its so funny because it looks like he is giving commands.


The other night Ben was out of town and Cody was up a lot at night so I pulled him in bed with me while he was still a little groggy. I nursed and we both fell asleep. Then I woke up to his cute little excited face wide eyed staring from about 3 inches away. He was up on all fours almost bouncing around. I think he was so excited to be in bed with me :) he rolled around near me, touching me and looking up in my face a bunch. I feel asleep to this and he eventually fell alseep too. It was pretty sweet.

Everyone just loves him. I also love when he takes naps so give me a bit of time to catch up on everything else that I can't get done while he is awake.


These pictures are of him from 9.5-10 months old.

                                                     Playing with the big kids at playgroup.

 He found this broken tape measurer (it doesn't roll back in) and LOVES. He goes crazy clanging it around making some crazy music.He is wearing Evrett's shirt in the picture too but I don't know why they put it on him?? :)

 When we visited Haylee and Lily he had fun playing with new toys. She has lots of baby dolls. He loved playing with them and giving them kisses. So cute!

                      He went crazy nuts SLAMMING these doors down on this toy and loved it.

                                                          Waving HI with Gramma Lala

                                              Such a big boys pulling himself up on things!

 He is a lot like Colin as a baby. He LOVES playing with anything that isn't a toy.

 Evrett is such a cute brother to you. Always makes sure I'm doing everything I'm supposed to make you happy. He hates hearing you cry and is so careful to be quiet when you are sleeping. He really wanted to carry you around one day in the bjorn :)

 Playing with big boy toys too...

Grateful

Cody has kept me up most of the last three nights, waking up every hour or so, so it is really strange that I was finding it hard to fall asleep tonight. It is just after midnight and my thoughts won't shut off. I guess I am just feeling very grateful for the wonderful little family I have. That heavenly father would send me such special children. I'm scared to death I (we) won't do a good enough job raising them and I think that is what is keeping me awake. I want to see them grow up strong. I want to see them do good and be proud of who they are. I am so grateful for the guidance that I do receive and I hope I never forget to look for it. gotta run, cody just woke up!

Cody at 9 months

Man alive, Cody is dead set on pushing me to my limits! He is SUCH a stinkin cute little guy but easy he is not! He is a "High Needs" baby that is majorly keeping me on my sleep deprived toes 24/7 but is so full of so much darn personality that we can't help but just love him like crazy. He is determined, stubborn and opinionated. He knows what he wants and can already throw a dramatic fit when he doesn't get it. He is easily over stimulated and high strung but loves to be around people. His favorite time is at 3 when Colin and Brannon come home from school. He loves loves loves to be played with and laugh! He has only slept thru the night (meaning from bedtime until 4 or 5am) three times...in NINE MONTHS! He is up often and wants to nurse. His naps are very inconsistent, I think mostly because he doesn't need a ton of sleep. If he gets good naps one day, he won't take any the next. I can usually get him down for a good morning nap but many days he goes from noon until bedtime with no nap!

*He is 19lbs 10 ounces and 28" long which is perfectly average.
*His Head is big :)
*Still no teeth
*He is HUNGRY and loves to eat table food. Doesn't like any "easy" food-crackers, bread, cereal, puffs-very much. He loves fruits and veggies. I bought a bag of frozen berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) and he loves to eat those frozen but they sure make a huge mess! He loves "meal" food. We ate chili with noodles one night and he could not shovel it fast enough into his mouth. Casseroles and soups are a favorite too.
*He can clap and play patty cake
*He pulls himself into a kneeing position.
*He loves to get up on the treadmil, then crawls back and forth pivoting around and looking over the edge. *He tried crawling down-face first- only once and got hurt, so he just hangsout up on it.
*He always tries to get into the "Room of Wonders" as the boys started calling it (the bathroom) He will see the door open and crawl full speed toward it. We usually get there just before he does to close the door, poor kid gets so upset.
*loves playing with anything that isn't a toy. Wooden spoons, pens, nerf darts, etc.
*plays catch
*loves loves loves his brothers. They get the best smiles out of him!
*gets excited when dad comes home and is warming up to him more. for awhile he didn't ever want to leave mom's arms, but he will now lean towards being held by ben.
*when he is tired he wants to nurse in his quite bedroom. not the basement while I watch TV.
*Has the softest sweetest head of peach fuzz ever. I love to rub it and he loves me to. Sometimes he starts groaning when I do it.
*Has only eaten one lego to date (that we know of) a poor lego guy head was found in a poopy diaper!


These last nine months have been busy hard ones but full of so much joy at the same time. I never thought it'd be possible to be crying tears of JOY! and utter exhaustion/frustration at the same time but I do. Sometimes the harder things are the more you also appreciate the good you have. We love Cody!!

 One day he latched onto this wooden spoon and would. not. let. go. When I tried to take it he just SCREAMED! He even wanted to nurse with it. This is how the poor kid gets when he is over stimulated...which happens most days. Too many crazy exciting brothers in this house!

 We went to a museum to excape this horrible chicago winter and he loved playing with himself in this mirror. He gave himself hi-fives and kisses. It was adorable.

 His new trick is climbing up on the treadmil. He does it all the time and looks so proud of himself when he gets up there! I guess maybe because he sees me doing it?? He knows he is kinda stuck once up there thought, so he sits and yells/screams for help when he is done. (update: at 10 months hold he is still doing this but we've put a big rice bag at the end of it so he can crawl off himself now)