March Madness

Spring in Colorado.  You know to appreciate the sun and warmer weather when it shows up because you can turn around and find snow any day.  And we have had both.

These boys always "appreciate" the weather by digging in dirt.

Nora is learning about being outside.  She loves to eat the grass and doesn't love staying on the blanket.  She wants to digging too I'm sure.

She also learned to pull up in her crib.  I had to take some pictures after her nap because, come on, how cute?!?

And she also thinks she is pretty awesome when she gets to pull up and play with the big kids.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sometimes pulling up on things also means sliding down things.

Or falling on your back.

But it also means big brothers can help you stand.

We had a Brunson family party and that usually includes a "dance party."  I was teaching Isaac to slow dance (again) and he said to me "mom, will you let me lead!"

Nora likes to dance with us too.

In Hard Times

This has been a rough couple of weeks for me as a mother.

Nora has been sick and teething and sleep is hard to come by for the both of us (and sometimes Jacob too.)  I am not at my best when sleep deprivation takes it's toll.  It really does feel like I am getting less sleep than I did when she was a newborn.

And she is certainly the most clingy and more of a "Mommy's girl" than any of my other babes.  She wants me all. the. time.

As a result I have felt like my ability to lovingly care for my kids has decreased greatly.  I'm just so tired.  And impatient.  And sometimes not kind.  I try, I really do, but sometimes at the end of the day I wonder if my kids will remember me as a "mean" mom who just yelled all the time.  I hope not, I think not, but sometimes I'm just not sure.

I attended a funeral for an amazing sister in our ward (Marilyn Price).  I visit taught her for a little bit before Nora was born and I certainly loved her.  She was a friend to me and my kids.  So kind to my busy boys.  Her children spoke so fondly of their mother.  They talked of how she would comfort them and put her arms around them while she listened to their cares and how their day was.  She gave them cake and made them feel her love.  I wondered if and hoped that I would be remembered that way.

I've been praying and studying to find joy despite the frustration and physical exhaustion.  It's not easy.  I sometimes even wonder if I'm enjoying Nora's cute babyhood.  I hope so...but I'm sure when she is older and through this phase of life I'll wish I appreciated and enjoyed her more.

So, as I was sitting in the lobby at church this past Sunday, holding a sleeping Nora (it seems I'm always holding Nora), Brother Tingey came out of one of the doors.  He smiled at me and Nora and then started to go back into the chapel.  He turned and came over to me and said something of how he thinks I'm amazing at what I do.  He said something about seeing so much love from me to my family and how he thinks that is amazing.  I mumbled some sort of thank you in an embarrassed sort of way.

As he returned to the Chapel I started thinking about that more and realized for me at that time it was something sent from my Heavenly Father.  I don't know if Brother Tingey really thinks those things of me but I know Heavenly Father can see my feeble efforts and knows I am trying.  I need to be a little more kind to myself.  I am doing the best I know how at this mothering gig and I need to focus on the love I do have for this amazing family of mine.  My kids are pretty great and I hope they are making me better through caring for them.  I hope they know how much I love them and how happy I am to be mothering them.  I hope those moments that love and happiness are clear are the ones that my kids remember.

I also hope for a full nights sleep.  :)

Nora at 7 Months

I can't believe I have a 7 month old baby.  Also, I can't believe how crazy busy she is.  Wait, I guess I can believe that.  She is just trying to keep up with her brothers.

And she is...

She is my earliest crawler and cruiser.  She is also loving to eat "table food."  We give her puffs right now but she is anxious for the real stuff, I can tell.

She loves to pull up to standing.  It's her favorite thing.  And it has caused some disruption in sleeping.  She is too busy practicing all her mobility.  Sitting, crawling, standing...too much fun for sleep.

I love that in the picture above and below you can see tufts of hair.  She still mostly looks bald but I swear there is hair there.  Her hair is coming in really blond.  Her eyelashes are really long but you can't really see them because they are blond.  Same with her eyebrows...she has them...just really blond.

Can you also spot the bruise above her eye?  Yeah, pulling up comes with falling down.  This time into the knob on the boys dresser during bedtime craziness.  Oops, 

Nora has been a little cranky of late (maybe I said that last  month too).  We are still waiting on teeth to surface.  The bottom two are so close.  And I think the top two will be right behind them.  Poor girl.  She must feel miserable.  At least I think she must with all the sleep troubles and clingy-ness that has been our life lately.

But she also extremely pleased with herself when she stands.  And she is still pretty happy and gives out giggles readily.  So I can't complain.  

She is squishy and cuddly and I love kissing her chub.

And for some reason, this last picture is my favorite of the bunch.  She loves being cuddled, even by the toy box.

She is growing up so fast and already seems to be losing the "little baby" look.  Every day she is looking more toddler like.  I guess it's the walking that makes it seem so.  But I also think her face has begun thinning out.  Oh...sweet Nora!  Of all my babies I feel the "Don't grow up!  Grow Up!"  more than the others.  I can't wait to see what she is like as a kid and I can't help but miss rocking my newborn all at the same time.  I guess I'll just have to try and enjoy the 7 month middle of the night cuddles and rocking while I get them.  

Another Outdoor Adventure