February is FREE month

Well, another month has gone, so it is time for an update. At the beginning of the month, I got sick with a cold, which is totally backwards. Moms are the last one to get sick, not the first. Of course, everyone else got sick too. The men of the family fared better than the women. Belle got an ear infection and I got a sinus infection (and a small lingering cough too, grrr).

I would like to take this time to show all you new mothers and soon-to-be-mothers, what happens to your house when you are sick in bed for just 24 hours, like I was.




I will admit to the laundry basket and the stepper and one or two other things already being out, but the rest was all the kids. Consider yourselves warned.

After we were feeling better, we visited my Aunt Karen, up in Idaho over Valentines. It was way fun. My mom and sisters were up there as well. We had a great time watching the Olympics and movies with Karen. Also, Belle slept the best she has ever slept. She sleeps in the basement at there house, in a room with no windows and she can't hear people walking around upstairs. She slept from 9:30pm until 10:30am, after taking a 3+hour nap the day before. I have thought about asking if we can move in, just so Belle can get her beauty sleep.

Matt and I also got a nice tax return this year and so we bought a new computer. It is awesome and so fast. We love it.

Something the kids did this month was build a fort in the living room a couple of times. They had a great time watching movies from it.


The last week of February was freebie week. I found out it was National Pancake day on the 23rd, and so we headed on over to IHOP and got us each a stack of free pancakes. They were delicious.

Then, the next day was the last day to go to the Hogle Zoo for free. I guess they do this every year, from November to February, on the last Wednesday of the month. It was really fun, despite the fact that it was the only cold, wet, rainy, snowy day all week. The kids saw the giraffes, tigers, cougars, and a humongous alligator. That thing was probably 7ft long. Beckett could look away from it. That was one of the animals that he was pretty excited to see and then when he realized that they are kind of scary to look at, he got nervous. So nervous that he didn't want to look away. Maybe he was afraid that if he didn't look at it, it would come after him. I was able to distract him from the alligator by watching this hilarious squirrel that was right next door. It was so funny. It would climb up its fake rock wall on one side of the cage, and jump clear across the cage onto a vine that was hanging on the other side. Then it would crawl upside down on the vine to the floor to go climb his wall and do it again. There was quite a crowd gathered to watch it. I even recorded it, but then when Beckett was watching it after we got home, he erased it. Bummer! It was super cute and funny.




Many of the animals that have outdoor cages opted to stay inside, to get out of the cold (I do not blame them one bit). Thankfully, it warmed up a little bit just before we left and a mama elephant and her baby decided to venture out into the cold. The baby put on a little show and ran around and was just super cute.

After we got home from the zoo, Belle discovered a new trick. She can put coins between her toes. I hope you can see the penny she is put in between her toes. I think she had 2 or 3 of them in there. What a silly girl.

The kids have been super nurturing this month. Belle has been carrying her babies and this giant gorilla around everywhere. She will lay them down and put blankies on them and give them kisses. It makes your heart melt to watch her.

Beckett has also started to show his fatherly instincts. One day I was in the kitchen, and heard Beckett talking to something, playing pretend. I decided to take a peek and this is what I found:

I think he was pretending that Belle's doll stroller was sick and they had to put it to bed. I think I even heard him give it a kiss. Belle was helping him. He used my shirt for a pillow and a hand towel for the blanket. Then they decided it needed some real blankets.

And then they decided it needed a good cuddle, cause that makes everyone feel better.

So, new mommies, there are cute things to look forward to as well.

P.S. In case anyone actually reads these updates, no I have not potty trained Belle yet. I think I chickened out. Hopefully this next month. And the Mazada has now been running great since we bought it, almost 2 months now, so that is a very good sign. And we are probably putting our house up for sale at the end of the month.

Cuddling and snuggling

Today I am grateful for cuddling and snuggling. I am a lazy person. I'm not going to lie. I love to stay in bed as long as I can each morning. I could get up with Matt and start my day before the kids get up and get some dishes done or straighten up the living room before the kids mess it up again, but I don't. I would much rather stay in bed. I do justify my laziness by the fact that Belle still wakes up in the night and so I need to sleep in to make up for it. Part of that is true, but I only get like a half hour more. But there is one major perk to my laziness. Beckett comes in my room after he wakes up and cuddles with me in bed for like 10 minutes. Some mornings when Belle wakes up early, I cuddle with her in my bed too. I love it. I can see myself in the future with all of my kids snuggled down in my bed. (If so, I think Matt and I are going to have to get a King size bed, which I have no problem with) Cuddling and snuggling is such a great way to start the day. I do love to do that with Matt too, but most mornings (as stated earlier) I am not alive when he wakes up. I get that in at night before we go to sleep. I don't like going to sleep without it. I am grateful for cuddling and snuggling.