Crash and burn

Today I put Austin down for a nap (Carson was asleep too) and I decided to take advantage of it and get a little shut-eye myself. I thought Austin was asleep in his bed, but turns out, he was playing in his bed the whole time. After about 45 min, I heard him come out of his room and continue to play in the living room. He seemed ok without me, so I attempted to go back to sleep. Another 1/2 hour passed and then all of a sudden, I didn't hear anything which is unusual for this child considering that he is always loud. I got up thinking there were 3 possible options... he's either getting into something he shouldn't be, he escaped, or he's just out in the backyard. Turns out he was passed out on the floor sleeping on top of some couch pillows! This was funny to me because Austin has never done this, he only sleeps in his bed or the car, so the fact that he surrendered to his tiredness without making it to his bed was hysterical!

Eric is leaving me for 9 days!

This past afternoon, Eric left for Dallas to attend a conference/seminar to help him better prepare for the National PT Board Exam he's taking next month. As much as I support and urged him to go, I'm also totally NOT looking forward to next week all by myself with a busy 3 year old and a newborn. I'm already exhausted as it is and that's with Eric's help! Hopefully I can somehow get adequate sleep, so I can make it through the week without having a mental breakdown! I'm going to have to hang out with friends everyday so I don't go crazy from lack of adult conversation! I'll give an update next week (that is if I'm not dead!)...

Burrito baby

I had to take a photo of this, the beloved swaddle! Eric and I swear by this and did it with both Austin and now, Carson. I totally agree with what's written out there by Pediatricians and books...swaddling not only calms fussy babies, but they actually get better, deeper sleep! And the tighter the better (of course, not to the point of cutting off circulation). We have a technique that we use that is pretty much "escape" proof, that is, until they're older and stronger! It's so funny because Carson totally anticipates it as soon as we lay him down on on the blanket and pull over the first corner. There's a lot of fighting it while it's being done, but once he's wrapped up tight, he immediately calms down and soon after, falls fast asleep! Too bad I can't do it in the car!

Some pictures

A first for everything

This might seem like a completely ridiculous thing to blog about, but I couldn't resist...it was a MOMENTOUS occasion! Austin officially ate his first Oreo cookie finally! Doesn't it seem ludacris that a nearly 3 year old hadn't had the desire to try the yummy chocolate, frosting-filled cookie until now?! Well, as many know he isn't the most adventurous eater when it comes to things like that, not that I should complain that my child won't eat junk food (he would rather munch on veggies and fruit!), but seriously, isn't it the slightest bit strange that he has never wanted to try an OREO COOKIE?? So, to tell the story, Eric came home from the store one day with Oreo cookies, and they were out on the kitchen counter. Austin says to me, "Mom, can I have an oreo cookie?" I was a little surprised that he asked me, but I figured he probably won't do anything with it, except give it to Dad. Boy, was I wrong, he took the cookie and bit off a bite like he had a hundred of them before. No funny face, no spitting it out, just stuffed the cookie in his mouth and then asked for some more. Only this time with milk (he's obviously observed Eric with this)! So, for the next 15 minutes he sat there on a chair in the kitchen dunking oreos into milk like a pro! Needless to say, Eric and I were blown away! Now we need to get him to eat cake so he can actually enjoy his birthday cake in another month!

A walk in downtown Boise

It was so nice outside today and I had to do an errand downtown, so I decided to bring the stroller and take the kids for a walk. Since I had only driven through downtown, it was nice to get out of the car and explore the streets of Boise. And what a cute downtown! Lots of outdoor cafes, cute boutique stores, and such a quaint, clean feeling. Kinda reminded me of Park City actually. The more I get to know Boise, the more I like it, so different than the rest of Idaho too (no offense to those who live in the Eastern side of the state!). Plus, now that spring is here, the trees and flowers are blooming, the grass is turning green and the mountains look beautiful with just snow on the tops. One of the great things about Boise that we have found is that along the Boise River is a pediastrian-only boardwalk/sidewalk that meanders through downtown and goes 60 miles along the river! Since Eric and I are cyclists, we are planning on getting a bike trailer this year so we can take the kids with us. Another fun thing that a lot of people do here is float the river and then barbeque at this park down the river. How fun on a hot, summer day!

Carson at 3 weeks!

Carson is 3 weeks old this today! Wow, time sure flies with the second child! He still sleeps a lot, but is much more alert and awake for longer periods now. I am delirious half of the day trying to manage a new baby, a BUSY toddler, clean the house, run errands, and all the other stuff that you have to do, but that's life! I definitely enjoy having 2 though, and seeing Austin with his brother is such a joy! Austin is learning how to be more gentle (hard for a rough and tough nearly 3 year old boy!), and asks to hold Carson all the time, especially when we're winding down in the evening. He also loves to help me bathe and dress him and is pretty good at putting a diaper on already! Carson just loves to stare at our faces and it's so cute how quiet new babies are when they're observing their new world, just in awe at everything around them. So far, Carson is an easy baby, hardly fussing, going to sleep pretty well, and eating great. Much easier than Austin, but maybe it's just the second child?! Or the parents a little more relaxed at everything?! We are so blessed witht this special, healthy spirit in our family and can't way to see how he grows and his personality develop!

Grandma Melba's funeral weekend

We went to UT this past weekend. Eric's beloved grandmother, Melba Mecham passed away on Tuesday, April 1st and we thought it was important to support the family and be there for the funeral services. It was a little crazy trying to get packed up Friday afternoon before the 4 hr drive (amazing how much stuff you haul with just 2 kids and for only a weekend!), but we finally got out of Boise around 4pm and arrived in Logan a little after 9:00pm. Saturday morning we drove down to SLC for a family viewing at the mortuary and were greeted by Eric's immediate and extended family. It was so good to visit with everyone, especially those we hadn't seen in a long time. It was also fun to see the new McEvoy babies that have been born over the last couple of months (see picture)! Carson is the newest addition in the family, but Salli's Ella is only 2 weeks older, Kevin's Rorie is 2 months old, and Jim's Grayson is 5 months old (but born 15 weeks early and just got home from the hospital). After the viewing, we drove down to Orem to attend the graveside service where Melba was buried next to her husband and one of her daughters (she had 3 children and her husband pass away before her, including Eric's mom). It was a touching service and even though it's always sad to see a family member pass on, we were all reminded of how great her reunion is in heaven and how much happier and pain-free she is now. On Sunday we hung out at Eric's dad's house with the entire family and watched Conference, even my sister Jen and Matt came up to see us and the new baby! All in all, it was a great weekend and even though I was exhausted, I was glad to be surrounded by family!

The Boise Zoo

We decided to take Austin to the local Zoo before my mom left town, not the San Diego Zoo (or even the Cincinnati Zoo), but it's a good place to take toddlers who have short attention spans (or moms that are tired!). Austin loved the monkeys the best, but was probably most excited to go down the giant giraffe slide!

Sweet kisses

Austin loves to give loves and kisses to his baby brother, it is so sweet! Especially if you know Austin! He is not the world's most lovey-dovey, cuddly kid! But with Carson, he just loves to stroke his head softly, pat his back, hold his hand with his finger, and give him lots of kisses! We'll see how long this lasts, that is if the newness of his baby brother wears off, but hopefully it won't!