Smiles!

Carson is 2 1/2 months old now and has been smiling for awhile, but I could never seem to catch the moment until now! And it looks like he's even got a dimple (the one thing he inherited from me!), even though it's hard to see sometimes with his chubby cheeks! He is such a little charmer already, and loves to grin at us, but especially to his mama! He's also starting to laugh and squeal now, it's so dang adorable! It won't be long before he's into full-blown, belly laughs! I forgot how fun babies start to get at this age! He is such a doll and a good baby and luckily for us, has been sleeping through the night pretty consisently since he was 6 weeks old. Yeah for all of us!

Austin's Birthday Party

Yesterday we had Austin's big birthday bash at the local Fire Station with all of his friends! It was a lot of fun and the kids loved it! The firefighters took all the kids on a tour of the Fire house, got to know all the different components on a fire engine, and the best part was that they even got to ride in the truck! Austin was completely mesmorized by all of it, a moment when he was actually speechless! After the tour, we had pizza and cake (a firetruck cake, of course!) and opened presents. It was a great day for Austin and he kept saying all day, "I'm not 2 anymore, I'm 3 now!" So cute! Our big boy is growing up! (Make sure to view the slide show of Austin below)

Austin turns 3!!!

Our first-born turned 3 today! It's hard to believe that only 3 short years ago, we were without kids and now, we can't imagine life any other way! Austin remains to be a "force of nature" with his never-ending energy, his zest for life, his happy-go-lucky personality, and of course, his hilarious antics! He makes us laugh everyday and surprises us with how smart he is! It doesn't help that he's so cute too (it's hard to stay mad at him for long!)! Girls, you better watch out! On top of his "bigger than life" personality, he is such a special, tender-hearted, little boy who loves to give kisses and hugs to his little brother, always remembers to say his prayers (and reminds us), loves animals, and knows how to make anyone smile. Austin, you are such a joy to have in our family, and we couldn't imagine life without you! We love you so much!

Chin Choppers

Since I can't seem to capture a picture of Carson smiling (it's so hard to time it!), I thought I would post a video of the infamous "chin choppers"-one of Eric's favorite things to do to babies. It's the funniest thing ever, especially if they have super chubby cheeks like Carson! Check this video out...:)

Elisa's wedding in D.C.

Last week I went to Washington D.C. for a few days to see one of my best friends, Elisa get married! My sister, Trish, even came along to help out with the baby since I was in the wedding! (Austin stayed home with Dad.) It was such a whirlwind of a trip, but so much fun! The only bummer was that I was sick the whole time with a cold and laryngitis!!! Oh, and my pictures disappeared on my camera when Elisa's dad tried to download them to his computer, so I'm working on recovering them (to which I will then post some more pictures). We spent our time there helping Elisa move out of her condo and into Danny's, getting pedicures and our hair/make-up done, hanging with family and friends, enjoying a yummy rehearsal dinner, and of course, the big wedding day was amazing (except it rained that morning so they had to move everything inside)! Elisa looked absolutely STUNNING and soooo happy and in love. Danny is a wonderful guy, equally as smitten, and I couldn't be more happy that the two of them found each other. Even though it was a little crazy traveling across the country only 7 weeks after having a baby, I am so glad I was there for Elisa and wouldn't have missed it for the world! More pictures to come later...

Happy Mothers' Day!

Happy Mothers' Day to all! May you have a special day with your loved ones!

"A mother's nurturing love arouses in children, from their earliest days on earth, an awakening of the memories of love and goodness they experienced in their premortal existence. Because our mothers love us, we learn, or more accurately remember, that God loves us." M. Russell Ballard

Carson at 6 weeks

Carson turned 6 weeks old yesterday and I can't believe how big he's getting already! Nobody believes me when I tell them he's only that old, he's the size of a 3 month old! Another future football player??? The best part about having a big baby (besides less baby weight to lose-which I've lost all of it fortunately!) is the fact that he sleeps longer at night, most nights now he goes from 10pm to 4 or 5am and I'm starting to get more sleep again! He is still a sweet, easy-going baby and already puts up with a lot of "abuse" from his big brother who is still learning what the word "soft" means. He is such a special little guy and I'm excited to see what his personality will evolve to be, if he'll be a crazy, active, motor mouth like Austin who befriends everyone or if he'll be more reserved, kind-hearted, and laid-back. Time will tell!

I survived the week!

Well, I made it through the week! Exhausted and delerious I must say, but alive and well nevertheless. At least nobody got sick, that would've put a damper on things even more! Besides a couple of rough nights up with the baby, it wasn't too bad of a week actually. We kept busy with lots of activities, outings, and you know, the usual. Highlights included going to the park several times (we live right by a GREAT park), beautiful and warm weather almost the whole week, rollerblading 8 miles along the Boise River greenbelt with the kiddos, going to a birthday party for one of Austin's friends, a trip to Build A Bear, Carson sleeping until 4 or 5am a few nights (a huge blessing!), and having dinner with friends. I sure have missed Eric though and can't wait for him to come home tomorrow night! It's amazing how these times actually strengthen your relationship, you know the whole saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"!

The best toy ever!

My mom sent Austin a small package today, which included this hopper ball...I think it just might be the best toy ever, it occupied him for 2 hours this afternoon as he hopped around the kitchen/dining room! Ok, so it's not exactly a quiet toy, but who cares?! Good for a busy toddler who needs to get his energy out!