the Luna's

Sam: 11 months

2016-07-06T16:07:00.001-07:00

Physically wise, not much has changed this month with Sam.

He still is perfecting the art of crawling.

He hollers and yells when he falls on his stomach so that someone will rescue him. And if no one does, or not quickly enough, he rolls himself out of the situation. It is very entertaining to watch.

He stands holding onto things, but those chubby, squishy legs tire quickly.

It is best this way, really, as I'd like to keep those roley poley legs around as long as possible.

We have heard lots of new words from him. He now says "mama", "dada", "leeeo", "niyo" (nico), "night night", "bye bye", "ciao ciao", "agua" (water), "leche" (milk).

It is quite adorable when I lay him in bed for the night and he grabs his dog and says "night night".

He.loves.to.eat.

Everything.

He will simply eat whatever I put in front of him (or at least attempt to get it in his mouth), and I am taking full advantage of it while I can.

He no longer allows anyone to feed him with a utensil. If it is there, he wants it in his hand. He knows what it is for, but has only successfully gotten food from it a handful of times.

We just love this happy, smiley guy and can't believe he will be one this month!

Sam: 10 months

2016-06-07T19:48:00.001-07:00

A true hunk indeed.

This guy warms my heart in so many ways.

He is cuddly, and squishy, and just so darn happy nearly all the time.

He is still working hard to master crawling.

He can stand up while holding onto things.

He is beginning to try to converse. Max will say "hey" to him and he returns it with a squeal.

Taylor Swift music has his heart.

He adores Nico, thinks Leo is hilarious {except when he squishes his face}, stares at Max all the day long, and is a true momma's boy.

His heart longs to play with the little legos, and it is one of the things that will tempt him to try to crawl.

He gets very, very excited at the site of chocolate.

We love this little guy, and can't believe he is almost 1!

Nico is 2!

2016-06-06T13:54:00.004-07:00

Only a couple months late on this post. Seems to be my mantra for life lately. Ha.

Nico is our little fireball.
He is tiny for his age, but his feisty self more than makes up for it.

Nico is determined, mischievous, stubborn, kind, helpful, compassionate, sensitive, athletic, smart, demanding, loving, and all sorts of crazy.

He skips when he runs.
He asks for chocolate milk at least once a day.
He hates going to nursery without me. {total, complete, momma's boy}
He always is the first to help clean up toys.
He is a very attentive big brother, and runs to help Sam whenever he fusses, saying "it's ok baby Sam."
He does not like to be dirty. Hates the swimming pool. Loves his baths.
He and Leo scream and fight with each other, and are best buddies at the same time.
He is always asking to wear his soccer clothes.
He jabbers and talks all the day long {driving his mother crazy I've heard ;)}.
He has the attention span of oh, about 5 seconds.
Gives a smile that will melt you on the spot.

Favorites:

food: chicken, fruit {esp. blueberries, strawberries, and grapes}, yogurt, and cookies
toy: legos {particularly the mater and lightning mcqueen legos - with yellow wheels}, and jeffie {his giraffe}
book: "Moo!" by David LaRochelle
pastime: crying {kidding, sort of!}, doing whatever Leo is doing, riding on the toy tractor

We love this little guy more than we could ever say!

Sam 9 months

2016-05-17T23:24:00.001-07:00

This little monkey is such a joy.
He is used to constant chaos all around - and it seems that he actually tends to prefer it that way.
He does not like to be left alone in a room.
He loves books, water, food, and his brothers.
When he is fussy, a little music will turn his mood right around.
Hey there little cuddle bear - we love you!

Sam: Days 201-250

2016-04-09T06:37:00.002-07:00

Sam 7 months

2016-03-01T14:28:00.003-08:00

The little chunk 'o hunk is 7 months old!

His current loves are:
-chewing on things
-eating {and grabbing at food whenever it is within his reach}
-playing with his brothers, even though they take all of the toys away from him, sit on him, "tickle"- aka pinch - him, and otherwise initiate him into the boy club
-being held and cuddling
-sleeping

He has two teeth, hasn't met a food he doesn't like {except chicken and noodle which he vehemently dislikes}, and is overall a happy joyful kid.

He is starting to reach and scoot and roll to toys. Toy cars are his chew toy of choice. Bath time is always a fun time - even when he loses his balance and takes a head dive into the water.

His new nickname is the evil dr. pork chop. {from toy story} They all call him this and it is hilarious.

Update

2016-02-28T16:31:00.001-08:00

One of the best things about Sundays?
Sunday naps.

As I was running around like a crazy woman getting kids ready, breakfast cleaned up, everyone into the car, etc., I thought to myself - just have to make it until after church. Ha. But seriously, it is the craziest morning of the week. Max leaves early for church meetings, which leaves me with the kids. If they are cooperating, things go pretty smoothly. If they don't want to go with the flow, it is an entirely different story!

But we made it!

And it was a great morning at church.

The kids are all napping now (going on three hours!) and because I couldn't nap I am just sorting through pictures and making collages - because it has been too long.

Sam is now 7 months; where has the time gone?! We are still snapping a picture a day of him. It is fun to see him grow and change and stay the same all at once. We love the little snuggle bug!

These are the pictures from 101-200. Slowly inching closer towards the first year.

Brothers

2016-02-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

These two big guys of ours.
I am often in awe of how different they are. Total opposites indeed.

Leo is calm {for a 3 year old boy - it's all relative!}, cautious, lover of all the things with carbs, cuddle bug, not really worried about messes {let us get out every single toy we own}, independent, and a rule follower - and enforcer, amongst many other things.

Nico on the other hand, is just crazy {like me} :) He is a constant ball of motion. He does not sit still! He is dependent in a lot of ways {like not ever wanting to be left alone in a room}, but is very physically capable and fearless when it comes to climbing, jumping, and anything else that could quite possibly break your bones. He loves chicken, eggs, and pretty much every source of protein. And salads. He is a neat knick, and helps to clean up toys almost always. He'll give you a hug, but don't expect it to last too long!

Despite their differences, they are shaping up to be great friends and brothers to each other. They look out for each other. They comfort one another. They have fun together. And of course they fight...all day long... I would't have it any other way :)

the teeth have landed!

2016-02-08T06:43:00.002-08:00

Sam has been working on those 'bad-boys' for quite some time now.

His temperament shifted quite a bit the last few days before they made their appearance. Lot's of wanting to be held, crying, fussing, and evening - right during dinner prep - meltdowns {who can blame him for it?}.

But finally his two bottom teeth popped through!

And he is back to his happy go lucky, happiest baby ever self. Thank goodness!

Sam 6 months

2016-01-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

It seems quite impossible that this little boy is 6 months already!
How time has flown {and stood still on some days...errr....winter}.

His pleasant disposition continues to endear us.
He does have quite a hard time in the late afternoon/early evening when nap time is over yet it is not bed time yet.

He is sitting up all on his own pretty well. Sometimes he topples over - usually forward as he has started "reaching" for toys and anything else he can get his hands on.

His two bottom teeth are allllmost ready to pop out.
We love to hear his "babbles" and "screams".
He is ticklish on his neck and armpits.

New foods this month are yogurt, chicken, and prunes, and little tiny pieces of noodles. He loves to eat, and is very impatient when meal time rolls around.

We love you Sam sam!

5 months

2016-01-01T18:25:00.002-08:00

Sam is now 5 months old now!
He has been since Christmas Eve, but he soon after came down with a fever & cough and didn't want to be put down for anything.
He is finally back to normal and let me snap a few pictures of him today.

He remains our happy little bald fellow with a large wisp of hair right in the center of his head.
Anything within arms reach is fair game for him, which makes eating while holding him a tad challenging.
He has been eating food for a month now, and has tried oatmeal, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, pear, peach and banana. It took him a few tastings to like the peas, but otherwise has been pleased.
No teeth yet - but I think they will be here soon? Hopefully.
He had a few rough nights where he was up at 11pm and then again at 6am to eat {usually sleeping from about 8 to 8}, and has subsequently felt like he ate a brick. So, he must be growing.

We love our little Sam the hamm!

Sticky Corn

2015-12-07T11:52:00.001-08:00

Growing up, my mom was the resident chef and baker, and we sure glad she was. Let's just say my dad's creations were not always our favorites. We often reminisce about that one time he made beans {crunchy beans} for dinner and we HAD to eat them before we went bowling. We did end up surrendering and swallowed a few bites of dinner, but still...

However, he was/is the king of creativity in the kitchen, and sometimes he would concoct a killer combination. Rusty bars. Campers d'light. Sticky corn.

When we first made this popcorn it instantly took me back to our family movie nights and sticky corn. This is a simple, quick "recipe" to throw together, and it yields a delicious {not quite nutritious} treat.

Nico agrees. {Keep those chubby hands forever, please}

Sticky corn
15 cups popped popcorn, lightly salted
1/2 {1 stick} salted butter
8 oz. mini marshmallows
1/2 C. brown sugar

1. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine butter, marshmallows, and brown sugar. Microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir, and then continue to microwave in 30 second intervals until butter is melted.
2. Pour mixture over popcorn, and stir to coat.
That's it! Chow down!

Monday Morning Briefing

2015-12-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

1. "It's Christmas time!" Leo loves to remind me of this every morning. He was very concerned the first few mornings about the Christmas tree being "broken" {the lights were turned off}, but has since figured out how to switch them on and it is the first task he rushes to do when we go downstairs. The ornaments are so very, very tempting for Nico, but so far the tree is still standing, and the ornaments are still alive..mostly - ha! Leo loves to wear the Santa hat while he and Nico chime "ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!" Adorable.

2. We got our first real snowfall this week. Well, second technically, but the first that we could really go out and play in. Nico was hesitant about it. He did NOT like being 'hit' with a snowball. He was having a hard time moving that little body of his around in all the gear. Ha! Leo was quite the opposite. He helped shovel, made snow angels, and just died with laughter when Max started up a snowball 'fight'. Sam was napping in his warm, cozy bed. We enjoyed cups of hot cocoa after it all, which they took a liking to, and have requested every day since.

3. There was a little Santa dinner in town that we went to this week. Mrs. Claus was there to help decorate sugar cookies and make hot cocoa. The kids had fun - and sort of willingly sat on Santa's lap. ha!

4. You know you have all boys when....every time some one has a "messy" diaper, or goes poop in the potty it is a big event. They like to gather around, look at it, say "ewww grossy", and Leo, with a finger pinched nose says "I don't want to taste it". Ha ha. Every. single. time. Boys. Gotta love 'em.

5. Nursery. The time to play with all the "girl toys" that they may never have at home. They served up some hot cocoa, microwaved the baby, rolled out a pizza, and even washed up the dishes afterward. Speaking of washing dishes, it is like one of their favorite pastimes to load the dishes into the dishwasher and put the soap it. Leo was upset this week when I was doing it without him. Let's keep this trend going, I'd say!

Happy Monday! Hope you all have a fabulous start to your week!

Skillet Sausage Penne

2015-12-03T14:18:00.001-08:00

Confession time. With three littles running around, there are some afternoons where the last thing I want to do is walk in the kitchen and whip up dinner. Because, for real, breakfast and lunch have already been made and served - and cleaned up off the floor - no one is starving.

This is one of those go to meals that whips up in a jiffy, and cleans up almost as fast. It makes dinner almost painless, uses panty staples, is budget friendly, and it has pasta in it. Winning.

Skillet Sausage Penne

12 oz. sweet Italian sausage
8 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
1-15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
2 C. chicken broth
3/4 C. half & half {or whole milk}
12 oz. penne (3 3/4 cups)
1/2 C. parmesan cheese
fresh baby spinach, a few handfuls

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage and mushrooms.
2. When cooked through, add in tomatoes, chicken broth, half & half, and pasta. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, and then lower heat to simmer. Stir occasionally until pasta is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Turn off heat. Add in spinach, stirring until the spinach wilts. Add in parmesan cheese. Serve!

Sam 101-125

2015-12-01T16:07:00.001-08:00

Sam has been off adventuring quite a bit lately.
He saw the view from the space needle {thanks Jamie!}, Pikes market in Seattle, went on a 'hike' in Leavenworth, explored caves at Lake Lenore, took a trip to the doctor, and had fun playing in nursery.

Not to mention the countless bubble baths that he has taken {which are delightfully fun for him}.

Here is to a growing baby boy - he is getting so big!

First food

2015-11-27T10:47:00.002-08:00

Sam turned 4 months on Tuesday, and celebrated by trying food for the first time.
He could take it or leave it - ha! {He'd rather have his fingers}

His check up went well.
Tips the scale at 17 lb. and stretches out to 26 inches long.

When he was poked with the first shot he didn't even cry. A true testament of the wonderful baby that he is. Although he did let out a scream when the second shot came around.

He is starting to sit up {for 5 seconds before toppling over}, takes two good naps {and sometimes a third}, loves to laugh at his brothers, is ticklish on his belly, gets mad when he is over tired, still hates tummy time, calms down when he hears music/is sung to, reaches and plays with toys, and is over all still just a joy.

Halloween!

2015-11-05T15:51:00.004-08:00

This is the best picture I got of our three little super heroes.
Sam was superman {for a short while, until he transformed into a bear. a.k.a. it was cold and rainy, and his tiny little fingers and toes couldn't take it any longer}
Nico was the hulk. We bought the spiderman costume for him, but Leo really wanted to wear it, and Nico didn't know what the heck was going on, so Leo was spiderman and Nico was the hulk.

We had a ward trunk or treat, which didn't really amount to much, but the kids had fun running from one car and back to the last to collect some goodies. Nico loved the dum dums and wanted nothing to do with anything else really.

When we got home, my Mom stayed with Sam, Leo quickly transformed into Superman, and we took off trick or treating around the neighborhood. They quickly got the hang of it, and ~~ran~~ were carried from house to house to gather some goodies.

They came home with heavy bags and wet feet.

Halloween was a success! :) {and now I have plenty of candy to enjoy ;)}

Sam 76-100 days

2015-11-05T07:01:00.004-08:00

Sam had lots of play time on his mat.
He still despises tummy time.
Smiles and laughs at his brothers, even when they are hitting/scratching/tumbling over him.
He had his first halloween!
Went swimming for the first time {and loved it}.
Celebrated Leo's birthday.
Played outside in the fall leaves.
Took lots of baths.
Had his second cold.

12 Weeks

2015-10-26T07:10:00.004-07:00

I contest that Sam is the sweetest baby alive.

He enjoys kicking and grabbing at toys while on his play mat. And when he is tired, he just pops his fingers in his mouth and puts himself to sleep.

He loves to laugh.

He loves music - his favorite song is "patty cake".

He hates tummy time. HATES it. {and I don't make him do it that often - oops}

If he is in the mood to "talk", he will coo and giggle with you.

He drools, spits up, and explodes out of his diaper on a regular basis. And we love him so much.

Weekly Briefing

2015-10-20T21:17:00.001-07:00

1. Little tape recorders
I suppose it is pretty common knowledge that kids will repeat everything .everything. they hear. But until you hear your most frequent phrases being repeated a la toddler voice, you don't really get it. Or maybe just me? ha. Anyway. Some of Leo's favorite things to say are "so sweet", "let me show you Nico", "you're in time out Nico", and "after later" {a combination of after lunch, after dinner, etc. and maybe later}. Nico's current phrase of the week is "what's that?". And don't you dare not answer him. For fear of you not hearing him, he will repeat it louder and louder until you do answer him. haha. It is endearing. Or was, the first 2073 times.

2. To the doctors we go.
Leo had his 3 year checkup this past week. He is 40 lbs (95%) and 37 inches (50%). He absolutely hated the doctors office. Like, refuse to step on the scale hate. Like, bring in two people to hold him down hate. And I had all three kids with me. It was awesome. We don't have to go back for another year. Did I mention how I wish there was no October next year?

3. Fall is in the air.
The temps have started to cool down during the day. The morning air is crisp, and it is still dark outside when I go for my morning run. I am in the mood for some fall fun. We've done a pumpkin patch and baked halloween cookies. Any more ideas?

4. Washers for days.
I read a blog about a lady having two washers in her house. How nice would that be? Between the recently potty trained, disaster eater, and nursing baby, I am putting an extra large laundry room on my dream house list. It would be magical.

5. Donuts.
These boys are donut obsessed. I am not sure when/how it happened. Although I love donuts mmmm we really don't venture out to get them that often. Because car seats. Nico asks for a donut for breakfast every single morning without fail. Luckily, he thinks muffins, toast, or anything else I put on his plate is a donut. On our weekly grocery trip this week, Leo told Nico in the car "c'mon Nico, let's go get donuts." I had to oblige. It was just so cute.

In the most recent general conference for the LDS church, a leader spoke about choosing a scripture for the week to ponder on/memorize. I figured this would be a great place to keep up my accountability in doing such. My scripture this week is Alma 7:11
"And he shall go forth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sickness of his people."

Sam {51-75 days old}

2015-10-12T21:39:00.001-07:00

It seems as if this boy changes and grows a little each day. I am convinced he is undergoing a perpetual growth spurt because almost all of his time is occupied with eating and sleeping. That, and he is now fitting into 12 month clothes.

He has taken a liking to sucking on his two middle fingers to calm himself/put himself to sleep.

He is quite the 'talker'.

He has been to Oregon and back. And his first temple visit {portland, OR}. He has been to Oktoberfest {in odessa, wa}, lowes build and grow clinic {a disaster - ha!}, his first hike {Columbia basin wildlife refuge} and our own backyard!

His spit up abilities have improved greatly. He catapults that stuff onto me nearly every day. But even so, I think we will keep him around. ;)

Monday Briefing

2015-10-12T21:12:00.003-07:00

1. Mission potty training is a success.
We have been on again/off again introducing the potty to Leo for several months now {like 6 months}. He has been interested, but I've been less than motivated to deal with the accidents, hassle, packing an extra change of clothes into an ever overflowing diaper bag, etc. I finally decided enough was enough, and that this potty business needed to happen sometime before the age of 17. So we did it. And there were accidents. And still are. But more often than not, he will shout out loud "I need to go potty" and hurriedly do so. Sometimes there is a bribe of a "gummy" {what he call candy corn} involved. There is always a reward sticker to follow. Phew! One down, two to go. Goodnight.

2. "D-I-N-G-O"

We love to sing around these parts. Nico's current favorite song is "Follow the Prophet", of which he demands to hear approximately 23 1/2 times before bed. Thankfully, it is just the chorus that they know well enough to sing. Leo's bedtime request songs are usually "I love to see the temple", "wise man" and "I am a child of God". Sometimes he sneaks in "Give said the little stream" or "Book of Mormon stories". On Sam's playmate {which he loves!} there is a little music box, which plays several songs, one of which is B-I-N-G-O. I started singing along whenever it played, and before we knew it Leo knew the song too. Except for one minor difference. He sings "D-I-N-G-O" and Dingo was your baby. Maybe a dingo ate his baby? haha.

3. Tantrum Central is in full swing.
Nico has found his new favorite word. "No!" He says it with such attitude. It's difficult to decided whether to laugh and smile, or follow through with whatever you have asked him to do. He also throws himself on the floor and puts on quite a display. This kid is everything to the max! He has, and continues to, give us a run for our money.

4. Leo turned 3!
To celebrate, we went to a corn maze/pumpkin patch in the morning, followed by and afternoon spiderman party. He even got a few finger licks of cake/frosting when no one was watching {before we ate cake - ha!} Certainly it was everything a little boy could dream of. Except for that time out. Or two. Ha ha!

5. These chocolate zucchini muffins make the morning rush to get all of the hungry bellies fed a dream - or a little less of a nightmare :) I make up a double batch every few weeks and freeze them. Then warm them up in the microwave (~30 seconds) and breakfast is served!

Have a happy week!

Sam: 10 weeks

2015-10-08T14:31:00.002-07:00

Hello there, giant baby.

We just visited the doctor for his 2 month checkup.
15 lb 15.9 oz (uh, and she didn't round up - haha)
24 inches.

Everywhere we go, people guess he is four or five months old.

Today, he is wearing an outfit that Nico wore when he was 11 months old!

Enough about his size though.

He is one gentle boy.

He has an infectious smile. He has started to "talk" when he plays on his mat. He still loves to be held and cuddled. He sleeps through the night, every night {hallelujah!}. He still tolerates all of the 'attention' from the older guys.

We went swimming last night at the local high school pool. We decided to suit him up and see if he would be ok with the water. The water was pretty cold, so I was skeptical that he would enjoy it. But he did! He was kicking and cooing. Reminded him of his home not too long ago I suppose - haha!

Sally sells sea shells

2015-10-07T23:07:00.000-07:00

We spent the better part of last weekend relaxing by the sea shore.
Seaside, Oregon to be exact.
{the other part of the weekend was spent driving the 6 hours to and fro. not as relaxing. ha}

Seaside is a quaint little touristy vacation spot.
We were less than a block from the pacific, and it was beautiful.

We hiked a bit in Ecola State Park.

{weird name. amazing, rainforest like views}

There was a sign at the entrance of the hike warning of cougars in the area.

Eep.

We came out with as many children as we had going in. Phew.

We spent Saturday morning listening to conference and enjoying the traditional cinnamon roll breakfast {one day early, because Sunday morning we were driving home}

In between sessions, we walked down to the local aquarium. It was pretty small, but the seals were very entertaining. For $1, you could buy yourself some "seal food" a.k.a. chopped up fish {ewww} and feed the seals. They were hilarious. Clapping and slapping their bellies all in an effort to win over your heart {and your food}.

They also had a few open tanks to touch a sea stars, sea urchins, etc.

Seeing the fish worked up our appetites for some seafood. Sam really enjoyed his lunch, as you can tell :)

We spent Saturday night at the beach.

Campfire.

Roasted hot dogs, coated in sand.

Smores, with a little bit of sand.

It was a pretty good thing we ate a big lunch. haha.

We headed back home Sunday morning.
Listening to conference along the way.
Despite the spotty reception in some areas, we probably got to listen to conference more with the kids strapped in and napping - haha!

We stopped at the Portland temple on our way.
Leo and Nico enjoyed their raisins and goldfish by the doors of the temple.

All in all it was a great time!
I'm missing the green already!

Moses Lake Park Tour - Montlake Park

2015-09-24T15:46:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest struggles for me since moving to moses lake has been the lack of {young} kid friendly activities.
Maybe it was because we were spoiled with so many in Utah? Perhaps.
Maybe because I'm just super lame at entertaining them myself? Also a very real possibility.
Nevertheless, it has been hard.

The one thing that the city has really invested in is their parks. There are some terrific places for outdoor play. We have a great park within walking distance of our house, and so we {read: I} haven't cared to try anywhere else out.

But we were getting a little stir crazy, so it was time to mix things up a bit.

The weather has been perfect park playing conditions, and Leo especially has seemed to enjoy the change of scenery.

First stop on the park tour -- Montlake Park

I had heard great things about this place from a local mom, and it did not disappoint!
The park was beautiful. It is right on the water without access being close enough that the kids wanted to wander over to it. The playground equipment was shaded {why isn't it always?!}. And there were not too many other people there.

Leo mastered climbing the curvy ladder, and was so proud of himself that he did it about 20 times - haha! Climb the ladder. Slide down. Run to ladder. Climb up. again and again and, well, you get the point. Oh, and I almost forgot - he peed his pants {potty training joys}.

Nico entertained himself by climbing up the stairs and sliding on his belly down the slide. Also, he spent a good amount of time waiting for Leo to drop his toys so that he could pick them up and run away. {His favorite game as of late -- that is, until he gets caught by big brother. Oops!}

Sam had fun laying on the grass and soaking up the cool air.