dear baby finn,
i guess it's no longer appropriate to call you a baby - you are 18 months old and a full-blown toddler! but you'll probably always be a baby to me, so for now, i'm going to keep calling you that. :)
you are still the cutest little boy on the planet, and you have your dad and i rolling on the ground every day, laughing at the silly things you say and do. it still blows my mind how quickly you pick up on things. as i've said earlier, we have to be careful about what we say and do around you, because you pick up on things so fast! you still aren't talking really great, but you do say some things and are getting better as time goes by. i'm sure you'll be talking in sentences before we know it and we'll be wishing that you weren't, so for now i am fine with the few things you do say. :)
some of my favorite things about you at 18 months:
-whenever we ask where baby sam is you pull my shirt up and kiss my belly. :)
-learned what a monkey and lion say
-like to be held by mom and dad. we are loving that you are more affectionate!
-you LOVE your blanket, and always make sure to bring it to our bed when you wake up in the morning.
-you like your privacy while pooping! haha lately i've noticed that when you are going #2, you'll go somewhere alone to do it. ;)
-you like to give duke and claus treats.
-you repeat things over and over and over again until you have perfected the task. for example, you'll open and close the doors for like 30 minutes at a time, or go up and down your latter over and over again, or turn the lights on and off over and over again. we don't know if this is just normal behavior for someone your age, or if you are a bit of a perfectionist? either way, it's kinda nice because it keeps you entertained and occupied. :)
you haven't been napping great the past month, and you started waking up at 6 in the morning! no fun for any of us! we tried switching you to one nap a day, because you are right at the age where you should take only one nap, but it didn't go over so well. you would be ready for bed by 7, which was nice, but then you'd wake up the next morning at 5! even worse than 6. so now you're back on two naps. some days you just sit in your crib and talk for like an hour before you fall asleep. i'm good with whatever as long as you're not screaming! ;)
today is your last day as an only child, sniff sniff. jk, i am so excited to meet your baby brother, and to see how you like him. i hope you will love him and that we will stay one big happy family! thanks for all you've taught me finn, you seriously have been the biggest blessing in my life. i have loved every minute of the past 18 months, and i honestly can't even remember what life was like before you came along. i am so grateful we've been able to spend so much time together, and that i've been able to stay home with you. being a mom is the BEST job in the world, especially with a kid like you! i hope you'll always know how much i love you.
love you always and forever.
love,
mom
Oct 10, 2012
Sep 30, 2012
..my little boy..
my dear sweet finn,
oh my heavens, my dearest boy.....where to even begin?? as the days draw nearer when you will become a big brother, i find myself mourning the loss of you as my baby. don't get me wrong, i am so sooo excited to meet your little brother, and to add another precious boy to our family, but part of me feels guilty for taking away your "babyhood" so soon. in so many ways you are still a baby to me. a sweet, perfect, innocent, tiny baby. but then i look at pictures of you, and as i watch you throughout the day i can't help but realize you have become a little boy! you have such a distinct, darling personality. you are beginning to exert your independence (in more ways than one!). you are so smart, and bright, and in so many respects you aren't, in fact, a baby. you are a little boy.
as i think back to the days before you were born, i remember writing a post similar to this one about your big brothers. i was so beyond thrilled to meet you, and to have you in my arms rather than in my belly, but part of me felt so guilty about what your arrival would do to your big brothers. i remember crying hysterically about it quite often, and dad would always laugh and roll his eyes and say, "everything will be fine. duke and claus will love you just as much as they do now." and guess what?? dad was right! as much as our lives all changed when you got here, my love for duke and claus only grew. so i guess i'm not so much worried about what will happen with my love for you when sam gets here, i know i will always love you completely and unconditionally. but i am worried about what will happen with your love for me. :(
i know you are bound to have moments of jealousy, that is totally normal and to be expected. i know it is likely you will prefer dad over me for a while...but let's be honest, i'm used to that! ;) i know that as much as you'll grow to love your little brother, there will be times when you probably hit him and aren't so gentle with him and just want it to be me and you. i hope we can find a way to make it through the hard times, because there is no greater gift your dad and i can give to you than a little brother. i hope you two will grow to be the best of friends.
as scared as i am to see how you'll react to baby sam, your reaction is also one of the things i am most excited for. i so look forward to seeing you for the first time when you come visit us in the hospital, and i hope you'll at least indulge us for a few photos. i have a feeling they will be priceless. we have scheduled a date to be induced - october 11th. but i hope sammy comes before then, because i fear that i will have an emotional breakdown on the 10th as i put you to bed. your last night as an only child. i really don't think i'll be able to handle that! it would be much better for me if i didn't know when sam was going to get here, so let's keep our fingers crossed that he decides to come early! ;)
finn, i just want you to know how much i love you. i could never put the amount into words, and it is something you'll never understand until you have kids of your own. maybe not even then, because you're not a girl! but you have changed my life in so many ways. you make every day better for me, and at times when things are dark and gloomy, all i have to do is take a look at you - you are my light at the end of the tunnel, my rainbow on a rainy day, my knight in shining armor, my love, my life. i don't know how i ever lived without you, and i don't know what i would ever do without you. thank you for changing me....for making me a mommy. for being the sweetest, most handsome, smartest little boy i could ever dream of having. i love you more than you'll ever know.
love,
mom
oh my heavens, my dearest boy.....where to even begin?? as the days draw nearer when you will become a big brother, i find myself mourning the loss of you as my baby. don't get me wrong, i am so sooo excited to meet your little brother, and to add another precious boy to our family, but part of me feels guilty for taking away your "babyhood" so soon. in so many ways you are still a baby to me. a sweet, perfect, innocent, tiny baby. but then i look at pictures of you, and as i watch you throughout the day i can't help but realize you have become a little boy! you have such a distinct, darling personality. you are beginning to exert your independence (in more ways than one!). you are so smart, and bright, and in so many respects you aren't, in fact, a baby. you are a little boy.
i know you are bound to have moments of jealousy, that is totally normal and to be expected. i know it is likely you will prefer dad over me for a while...but let's be honest, i'm used to that! ;) i know that as much as you'll grow to love your little brother, there will be times when you probably hit him and aren't so gentle with him and just want it to be me and you. i hope we can find a way to make it through the hard times, because there is no greater gift your dad and i can give to you than a little brother. i hope you two will grow to be the best of friends.
as scared as i am to see how you'll react to baby sam, your reaction is also one of the things i am most excited for. i so look forward to seeing you for the first time when you come visit us in the hospital, and i hope you'll at least indulge us for a few photos. i have a feeling they will be priceless. we have scheduled a date to be induced - october 11th. but i hope sammy comes before then, because i fear that i will have an emotional breakdown on the 10th as i put you to bed. your last night as an only child. i really don't think i'll be able to handle that! it would be much better for me if i didn't know when sam was going to get here, so let's keep our fingers crossed that he decides to come early! ;)
finn, i just want you to know how much i love you. i could never put the amount into words, and it is something you'll never understand until you have kids of your own. maybe not even then, because you're not a girl! but you have changed my life in so many ways. you make every day better for me, and at times when things are dark and gloomy, all i have to do is take a look at you - you are my light at the end of the tunnel, my rainbow on a rainy day, my knight in shining armor, my love, my life. i don't know how i ever lived without you, and i don't know what i would ever do without you. thank you for changing me....for making me a mommy. for being the sweetest, most handsome, smartest little boy i could ever dream of having. i love you more than you'll ever know.
love,
mom
Sep 10, 2012
..seventeen months old..
dear baby finn,
today you are 17 months old! let's just go ahead and say what we say every month...i can't believe how fast the time has gone! seriously, like, what did we even do this past month?? where on earth did the time go?? it boggles my mind.
i feel like you are in a stage of development right now where you learn things super fast and change a ton from week to week. it's so crazy how you just all the sudden pick things up, and we're like, "where did he learn that?!" you keep your dad and me on our toes pretty much all the time, and keep us laughing most of the day. you are so funny and smart, and i just absolutely love watching your personality develop. you are still the sweet, easy-going boy you've been from the beginning, and that is one of my favorite things about you. you are also a total ham, and have this goofy, hilarious side to you that i also adore. i wish i could just freeze time and keep you the way you are forever. :)
here are some things about you as a 17-month-old:
*you howl all the time, day and night. it is the funniest thing in the world. you picked it up from your brothers, who howl when an ambulance goes by or when they get really riled up by another day. as soon as i noticed you doing this, i started saying, "yes, that's what a werewolf says." so now we ask you, "finn, what does a werewolf say?" and you respond with "owwwwwww." SO funny.
*you're starting to talk more and more each day! you say mama, dada, grandma, nana, papa, duke and love bug. haha "love bug" is what i call dad, and one morning you and i were down in the kitchen, and dad was upstairs in our bedroom, so i yelled, "love bug." a few seconds later you yelled it. haha funniest thing ever!
*you wave from side to side instead of front to back and you wave at everyone and everything.
*you LOVE to jump! you figured out how to jump on the trampoline about a month ago, and i swear you could jump all day. just in the past week or two you figured out how to jump on solid ground, and you love to do that, too. it's so fun to watch.
*we've been trying to teach you the concept of "gentle," and you are getting better at it every week. about a month ago (maybe longer?) you started whacking us on the face, head, hitting your brothers, etc...i am sure it is just a phase, and i don't think you are intentionally being mean (okay, sometimes i think you are, haha) but with your baby brother on the way we figured we better hurry and teach you how to be soft and gentle. hopefully you'll have this mastered by next month. :)
*every morning, we bring you into our bed, where you drink your bottle and snuggle with us. a few weeks ago we decided to turn on "yo gabba gabba" after you were finished with your bottle, and surprisingly you like it! so now, when you are finished with your bottle you immediately reach for the remote controls, hand them to dad and say "uh," which means "please turn on yo gabba gabba." haha you'll watch for a few minutes at a time, sometimes more, and we love it because it means more sleepy time for us. ;)
*when you see us pull out our phones to take a picture of you, you pull the cheesiest face i've ever seen! haha it is so funny, and keeps us rolling on the ground.
*you've started climbing on everything, much to my dismay. tables, chairs, the barstool, our couches. i guess the only thing i don't like you climbing on are the tables. unfortunately, it's hard for you to differentiate what you can and can't climb on so i'm thinking this is going to be a long process of teaching you "no."
*you mimic almost everything we say and do, it cracks us up. for instance, the other day you were jumping on the trampoline with dad, and like a gross boy, dad spit over the edge. well, then you walked over and made a spitting sound over the edge! haha too funny. when we are done eating breakfast in the morning, i'll usually grab a paper towel and clean off the table. well, when i go to get you out of your highchair, you'll wipe off your tray. :) so cute. and i could go on with a million stories just like these. it is amazing what you pick up, and how much you learn. i guess we need to be careful about what we say/do in front of you! ;)
like i said, you are growing and changing and becoming this little human more and more every day. it is so weird to look at pictures of you from even just a few months ago, and see how much you have changed. you still have chubby little cheeks, but they aren't nearly as chubby as they were six months ago. you are no longer bald, your clothes are getting a little too small. you seriously are just turning into this boy, and it half breaks my heart, half makes my heart smile. it is definitely sad to see how fast this all happens, but at the same time i am so happy that you seem to be doing so well, and that you are such a happy little boy. i have been experiencing a wide range of emotions lately, and a lot of them stem from thoughts about what will change in our home when the baby comes. i have to keep reminding myself that giving you a baby brother is probably one of the best things we could ever do for you. i only hope that you'll like each other and form a bond early on that will carry you through all the years of your life. however, there are those negative voices in my head that worry that you won't feel loved or get the attention that you need and deserve. i know my love for you won't change, it will only continue to grow, but i don't know if you know that. i have heard that babies under 20 months don't go through the same "jealousy stage" that those over 20 months experience when a new sibling comes along. still, i am sure there is a learning curve, and i hope we can figure it out in record time. ;)
i love you more than you'll ever know, and i'm so happy you are mine.
love,
mom
today you are 17 months old! let's just go ahead and say what we say every month...i can't believe how fast the time has gone! seriously, like, what did we even do this past month?? where on earth did the time go?? it boggles my mind.
i feel like you are in a stage of development right now where you learn things super fast and change a ton from week to week. it's so crazy how you just all the sudden pick things up, and we're like, "where did he learn that?!" you keep your dad and me on our toes pretty much all the time, and keep us laughing most of the day. you are so funny and smart, and i just absolutely love watching your personality develop. you are still the sweet, easy-going boy you've been from the beginning, and that is one of my favorite things about you. you are also a total ham, and have this goofy, hilarious side to you that i also adore. i wish i could just freeze time and keep you the way you are forever. :)
here are some things about you as a 17-month-old:
*you howl all the time, day and night. it is the funniest thing in the world. you picked it up from your brothers, who howl when an ambulance goes by or when they get really riled up by another day. as soon as i noticed you doing this, i started saying, "yes, that's what a werewolf says." so now we ask you, "finn, what does a werewolf say?" and you respond with "owwwwwww." SO funny.
*you're starting to talk more and more each day! you say mama, dada, grandma, nana, papa, duke and love bug. haha "love bug" is what i call dad, and one morning you and i were down in the kitchen, and dad was upstairs in our bedroom, so i yelled, "love bug." a few seconds later you yelled it. haha funniest thing ever!
*you wave from side to side instead of front to back and you wave at everyone and everything.
*you LOVE to jump! you figured out how to jump on the trampoline about a month ago, and i swear you could jump all day. just in the past week or two you figured out how to jump on solid ground, and you love to do that, too. it's so fun to watch.
*we've been trying to teach you the concept of "gentle," and you are getting better at it every week. about a month ago (maybe longer?) you started whacking us on the face, head, hitting your brothers, etc...i am sure it is just a phase, and i don't think you are intentionally being mean (okay, sometimes i think you are, haha) but with your baby brother on the way we figured we better hurry and teach you how to be soft and gentle. hopefully you'll have this mastered by next month. :)
*every morning, we bring you into our bed, where you drink your bottle and snuggle with us. a few weeks ago we decided to turn on "yo gabba gabba" after you were finished with your bottle, and surprisingly you like it! so now, when you are finished with your bottle you immediately reach for the remote controls, hand them to dad and say "uh," which means "please turn on yo gabba gabba." haha you'll watch for a few minutes at a time, sometimes more, and we love it because it means more sleepy time for us. ;)
*when you see us pull out our phones to take a picture of you, you pull the cheesiest face i've ever seen! haha it is so funny, and keeps us rolling on the ground.
*you've started climbing on everything, much to my dismay. tables, chairs, the barstool, our couches. i guess the only thing i don't like you climbing on are the tables. unfortunately, it's hard for you to differentiate what you can and can't climb on so i'm thinking this is going to be a long process of teaching you "no."
*you mimic almost everything we say and do, it cracks us up. for instance, the other day you were jumping on the trampoline with dad, and like a gross boy, dad spit over the edge. well, then you walked over and made a spitting sound over the edge! haha too funny. when we are done eating breakfast in the morning, i'll usually grab a paper towel and clean off the table. well, when i go to get you out of your highchair, you'll wipe off your tray. :) so cute. and i could go on with a million stories just like these. it is amazing what you pick up, and how much you learn. i guess we need to be careful about what we say/do in front of you! ;)
like i said, you are growing and changing and becoming this little human more and more every day. it is so weird to look at pictures of you from even just a few months ago, and see how much you have changed. you still have chubby little cheeks, but they aren't nearly as chubby as they were six months ago. you are no longer bald, your clothes are getting a little too small. you seriously are just turning into this boy, and it half breaks my heart, half makes my heart smile. it is definitely sad to see how fast this all happens, but at the same time i am so happy that you seem to be doing so well, and that you are such a happy little boy. i have been experiencing a wide range of emotions lately, and a lot of them stem from thoughts about what will change in our home when the baby comes. i have to keep reminding myself that giving you a baby brother is probably one of the best things we could ever do for you. i only hope that you'll like each other and form a bond early on that will carry you through all the years of your life. however, there are those negative voices in my head that worry that you won't feel loved or get the attention that you need and deserve. i know my love for you won't change, it will only continue to grow, but i don't know if you know that. i have heard that babies under 20 months don't go through the same "jealousy stage" that those over 20 months experience when a new sibling comes along. still, i am sure there is a learning curve, and i hope we can figure it out in record time. ;)
i love you more than you'll ever know, and i'm so happy you are mine.
love,
mom
Sep 6, 2012
..first visit from the tooth fairy..
dear finn,
well, we can probably set a record with this one.....17 months old and already had your first visit from the tooth fairy. :(
i knew she wouldn't forget about you, even with you being so small. rather than bringing you money, she brought you this cute book and this cool drum toy. you love the drum!
hopefully it will be a while before she has to visit again. ;)
today your mouth is pretty dang swollen, and it is turning black and blue. this is a good sign, though, according to the dentist. it means your mouth is healing the way it is supposed to. we will continue to keep our fingers crossed that your mouth doesn't scar and that everything heals properly.
love you dear boy!
love,
mom
well, we can probably set a record with this one.....17 months old and already had your first visit from the tooth fairy. :(
i knew she wouldn't forget about you, even with you being so small. rather than bringing you money, she brought you this cute book and this cool drum toy. you love the drum!
hopefully it will be a while before she has to visit again. ;)
today your mouth is pretty dang swollen, and it is turning black and blue. this is a good sign, though, according to the dentist. it means your mouth is healing the way it is supposed to. we will continue to keep our fingers crossed that your mouth doesn't scar and that everything heals properly.
love you dear boy!
love,
mom
Sep 5, 2012
..WORST day EVER..
dear baby finn,
my dear sweet boy, i don't even know how to begin this post. i am still so traumatized by what happened to you, that i don't know if i'll be able to coherently write about the experience. truth be told, i'd rather just forget about it forever, however i know that down the road we'll want an account of what happened. so here we go.........
today was a day like any other. we were still in our pajamas, un-showered, teeth un-brushed (at noon, mind you! hey, don't judge haha), just hanging out in the backyard. i was sitting at the table, you were riding your 4-wheeler. i will shamefully admit that i had this fleeting thought, "it would be terrible if he rode over the curb," but you had ridden your 4-wheeler so many times before and never really gone near the curb that i didn't think too much more about it. two seconds later (literally) over the curb you went, over your 4-wheeler, face-planting into the red lantern i had sitting by the door. it's probably hard to imagine unless you are familiar with our back patio. anyway, my heart immediately sank as i jumped up to help you. crying worse than i'd ever heard you with blood gushing out of your mouth, it was probably one of the worst images of you i've ever had, and of course it is now burned into my brain.
i picked you up, and something instantly fell out of your mouth - your tooth. a molar, no less, root and all. this explained the bleeding. luckily your head seemed to be okay, but you were crying so loud and hard (obviously, i mean, your tooth just came all the way out) that i didn't know what to do. so i called dad, but i was such a hysterical mess that he couldn't understand anything i was saying! so i tried as hard as i could to take a deep breath and calm down. i told him what happened and he said, "well take him to the hospital!" so frantically i gathered up your tooth and headed out the door, still balling my eyes out. as luck would have it, one of my tires was flat, and dad had instructed me earlier not to drive it anywhere, but this seemed like it was an exception. so i buckled you into your carseat and headed out the driveway. just as i was about to pull away, jessica came running out her back door and asked if i wanted her to drive us. so she jumped in the drivers seat and suggested we go to instacare. i am so grateful she came to the rescue, because she definitely helped calm me down.
you calmed down, too, on the way there. your mouth stopped bleeding so profusely, and you pretty much stopped crying. the wait time at instacare was considerably less than the last time we went, although i felt our visit was a little pointless because the doctor didn't say much. he checked all your vitals and ruled out concussion/head trauma, so i guess for that reason alone it was worth it to go. but he didn't know much about what would happen with your tooth/mouth, and just recommended we take you to a dentist.
as we were checking out of instacare (paying, and such), i asked you what a werewolf says, and it cheered me up more than you'll ever know when you let out your darling "owwwwww." everyone around us started laughing, and the receptionist even asked for you to do it again! haha, it was pretty darn funny, and helped me know that you were okay, even if you were in tons of pain.
when we got home i tried feeding you, and surprisingly you ate. i was shocked! we played for a little bit, then i put you down for a nap. i called the pediatric dentist that jessica takes her kids to, to see if they thought you should come in today or if it would be okay to wait until tomorrow. the dentist wanted to see you right away, just to make sure that the tooth really did come all the way out and to make sure that your mouth was going to be okay. luckily dad was in bountiful and able to come home and drive us to the dentist (remember, my tire was flat). i went in to get you out of your crib, thinking you'd still be awake since i had only put you down 15 minutes earlier, but you were sound asleep. :( it broke my heart to have to wake you up.
the dentist office was clear in west valley, but the inside of it was really cute and fun, so i think it was worth the drive. :) after filling out all the paperwork, we went back to see the dentist, and all i can say is thank goodness dad was with us, because hearing you scream the way you did when dad and the dental technician pinned you down so the dentist could get a look in your mouth was a little too much for me. it was so sad, and i just felt so bad for you because you had already been through way too much today. the dentist was surprised by what a clean break the tooth made. he said he had never heard of anything like that happening before (an entire molar coming out). he wasn't too concerned about infection, and didn't even want us to come back for a follow-up appointment, so that's a good thing, i guess. they gave you a couple toys and sent us on our merry way.
looking back on this whole traumatic day, i realize how blessed we were/are, and how heavenly father's hand helped us out the whole way, from traumatizing beginning to end. things could have been so much worse. *rather than losing a tooth, you could have lost an eye or had a concussion. *rather than losing your back top molar (which no one can see), you could have lost a front tooth and looked a little silly for the next however-many-years until your permanent tooth came back in. *it was a miracle that dad answered the phone when i called him, and two more miracles that *danny answered his phone when dad called him, and that *jessica was home, her nanny was there watching her kids, so she was able to take us to instacare. *it was a huge blessing that dad was in bountiful, right when we needed to leave to make it to the dentist office before they closed. and another huge blessing that the dentist wasn't too concerned about your mouth. he did say that you had a huge cut on the inside of your mouth that could potentially scar, so we will just hope and pray that it doesn't, because the thought of your perfect little face scarring is just too much for me to think about.
words can't begin to express how terrifying this day was, my sweet boy. hopefully i'll look back on it, and realize that it wasn't as bad as i made it out to be, but for now, i am pretty traumatized. i feel so responsible, and feel so horrible that i didn't heed the prompting of the spirit when it told me to watch and make sure you didn't fall off that curb. i am so grateful that you are okay, and today was definitely one of those days where i was reminded what an angel of a boy i have. you were so unbelievably brave the entire day, and it definitely helped calm me down. i can't imagine how painful it would be to have a tooth yanked out like that, yet you've been pretty happy and content for most of the day. i feel so lucky and honored to call you my son, and know that i definitely don't deserve you. you are my pride and joy and i don't know what i would ever do without you.
love,
mom
my dear sweet boy, i don't even know how to begin this post. i am still so traumatized by what happened to you, that i don't know if i'll be able to coherently write about the experience. truth be told, i'd rather just forget about it forever, however i know that down the road we'll want an account of what happened. so here we go.........
today was a day like any other. we were still in our pajamas, un-showered, teeth un-brushed (at noon, mind you! hey, don't judge haha), just hanging out in the backyard. i was sitting at the table, you were riding your 4-wheeler. i will shamefully admit that i had this fleeting thought, "it would be terrible if he rode over the curb," but you had ridden your 4-wheeler so many times before and never really gone near the curb that i didn't think too much more about it. two seconds later (literally) over the curb you went, over your 4-wheeler, face-planting into the red lantern i had sitting by the door. it's probably hard to imagine unless you are familiar with our back patio. anyway, my heart immediately sank as i jumped up to help you. crying worse than i'd ever heard you with blood gushing out of your mouth, it was probably one of the worst images of you i've ever had, and of course it is now burned into my brain.
i picked you up, and something instantly fell out of your mouth - your tooth. a molar, no less, root and all. this explained the bleeding. luckily your head seemed to be okay, but you were crying so loud and hard (obviously, i mean, your tooth just came all the way out) that i didn't know what to do. so i called dad, but i was such a hysterical mess that he couldn't understand anything i was saying! so i tried as hard as i could to take a deep breath and calm down. i told him what happened and he said, "well take him to the hospital!" so frantically i gathered up your tooth and headed out the door, still balling my eyes out. as luck would have it, one of my tires was flat, and dad had instructed me earlier not to drive it anywhere, but this seemed like it was an exception. so i buckled you into your carseat and headed out the driveway. just as i was about to pull away, jessica came running out her back door and asked if i wanted her to drive us. so she jumped in the drivers seat and suggested we go to instacare. i am so grateful she came to the rescue, because she definitely helped calm me down.
you calmed down, too, on the way there. your mouth stopped bleeding so profusely, and you pretty much stopped crying. the wait time at instacare was considerably less than the last time we went, although i felt our visit was a little pointless because the doctor didn't say much. he checked all your vitals and ruled out concussion/head trauma, so i guess for that reason alone it was worth it to go. but he didn't know much about what would happen with your tooth/mouth, and just recommended we take you to a dentist.
as we were checking out of instacare (paying, and such), i asked you what a werewolf says, and it cheered me up more than you'll ever know when you let out your darling "owwwwww." everyone around us started laughing, and the receptionist even asked for you to do it again! haha, it was pretty darn funny, and helped me know that you were okay, even if you were in tons of pain.
when we got home i tried feeding you, and surprisingly you ate. i was shocked! we played for a little bit, then i put you down for a nap. i called the pediatric dentist that jessica takes her kids to, to see if they thought you should come in today or if it would be okay to wait until tomorrow. the dentist wanted to see you right away, just to make sure that the tooth really did come all the way out and to make sure that your mouth was going to be okay. luckily dad was in bountiful and able to come home and drive us to the dentist (remember, my tire was flat). i went in to get you out of your crib, thinking you'd still be awake since i had only put you down 15 minutes earlier, but you were sound asleep. :( it broke my heart to have to wake you up.
the dentist office was clear in west valley, but the inside of it was really cute and fun, so i think it was worth the drive. :) after filling out all the paperwork, we went back to see the dentist, and all i can say is thank goodness dad was with us, because hearing you scream the way you did when dad and the dental technician pinned you down so the dentist could get a look in your mouth was a little too much for me. it was so sad, and i just felt so bad for you because you had already been through way too much today. the dentist was surprised by what a clean break the tooth made. he said he had never heard of anything like that happening before (an entire molar coming out). he wasn't too concerned about infection, and didn't even want us to come back for a follow-up appointment, so that's a good thing, i guess. they gave you a couple toys and sent us on our merry way.
looking back on this whole traumatic day, i realize how blessed we were/are, and how heavenly father's hand helped us out the whole way, from traumatizing beginning to end. things could have been so much worse. *rather than losing a tooth, you could have lost an eye or had a concussion. *rather than losing your back top molar (which no one can see), you could have lost a front tooth and looked a little silly for the next however-many-years until your permanent tooth came back in. *it was a miracle that dad answered the phone when i called him, and two more miracles that *danny answered his phone when dad called him, and that *jessica was home, her nanny was there watching her kids, so she was able to take us to instacare. *it was a huge blessing that dad was in bountiful, right when we needed to leave to make it to the dentist office before they closed. and another huge blessing that the dentist wasn't too concerned about your mouth. he did say that you had a huge cut on the inside of your mouth that could potentially scar, so we will just hope and pray that it doesn't, because the thought of your perfect little face scarring is just too much for me to think about.
words can't begin to express how terrifying this day was, my sweet boy. hopefully i'll look back on it, and realize that it wasn't as bad as i made it out to be, but for now, i am pretty traumatized. i feel so responsible, and feel so horrible that i didn't heed the prompting of the spirit when it told me to watch and make sure you didn't fall off that curb. i am so grateful that you are okay, and today was definitely one of those days where i was reminded what an angel of a boy i have. you were so unbelievably brave the entire day, and it definitely helped calm me down. i can't imagine how painful it would be to have a tooth yanked out like that, yet you've been pretty happy and content for most of the day. i feel so lucky and honored to call you my son, and know that i definitely don't deserve you. you are my pride and joy and i don't know what i would ever do without you.
love,
mom
Aug 12, 2012
..caught..
dear finn,
the other morning you woke up, drank your bottle, then went about business like always (playing with toys and books, trying to escape outside, etc). well i was still tired so i stayed in bed and just kept my ears perked for any unusual and suspicious sounds (such as silence!). well, i saw you go downstairs, heard you playing with some toys. then i heard something fall, but it wasn't too loud and didn't sound like glass, so i wasn't too concerned. then i heard you say, "uh-oh," and all went quiet on the western front! after a few minutes of the suspicious silence i decided i better go check on you, and this is what i found.......
haha you pulled my orange slices off the kitchen table and had stuffed three in your mouth! three...in that tiny mouth of yours! haha you were just helpin' yourself to some breakfast, huh? silly boy. always keepin' us on our toes and laughing. i sure do love ya.
love,
mom
the other morning you woke up, drank your bottle, then went about business like always (playing with toys and books, trying to escape outside, etc). well i was still tired so i stayed in bed and just kept my ears perked for any unusual and suspicious sounds (such as silence!). well, i saw you go downstairs, heard you playing with some toys. then i heard something fall, but it wasn't too loud and didn't sound like glass, so i wasn't too concerned. then i heard you say, "uh-oh," and all went quiet on the western front! after a few minutes of the suspicious silence i decided i better go check on you, and this is what i found.......
love,
mom
Aug 10, 2012
..sixteen months old..
dear finn,
wow, this past month flew by! i don't know what it is about the summer months, but they always seem to go way too fast. this month, though, it just went faster than any month ever, i really don't know where the time went! honestly, like i don't even know what we did this past month haha, apparently i am losing my mind. ;)
you are still growing and learning new things every day. when i look at pictures of you now compared to pictures of you three months ago, you honestly just look so much older...it is freaky! you still have that same cute look though, which i love. :) besides my birthday and friendunion 2012, i really can't think of what else we did this past month. mostly i guess we just hang out inside since it is so unbearably hot outside. we still go out there for a little while every day. you, being the little explorer that you are, love to just roam the great outdoors. ;)
some fun/funny/cute things about you at sixteen months old....
-you know what sounds a dog, cat, cow, and bunny rabbit make (the bunny doesn't make a sound, just scrunches his nose and moves his mouth! haha)
-say "dada" and "uh-oh" all the time. i'm pretty sure you think that dad, me and grandma are all called "dada," so we are working on teaching you the difference. ;) and any time anything falls or you drop something, you say "uh-oh" in the cutest little sing-song voice i have ever heard!
-you wave to anyone and everyone, wherever we go, all day long. it is adorable when we are out and about shopping and you wave to everyone. or anytime you leave the room that me and dad are in, you'll turn around and wave. cracks us up!
-love to blow kisses, and whenever i'm on my way out and say, "love you finners," you'll blow me a kiss. melt!
-take 2 two-hour naps every day. love it!
-still teething your k-9's. i wish those darn teeth would come in!
-some days you are great with food, and will eat whatever we put in front of you. other days it is a struggle, and you won't eat anything. i think it may have to do with teething?
-you walk on your tippy-toes half the time, and you will twirl on command (if we say "twirly, twirly, twirly) so we are hoping this doesn't mean you'll be a ballerina someday! ;) haha
-go in and out of the doggy door at your own will.
-you've been getting a lot rougher with the dogs, and with us, and will hit very aggressively. we are trying to teach you "gentle." hopefully you'll figure it out before october! :-0
-still walk up to things you know aren't for you and shake your head. every now and then you'll test us and go for it, but for the most part, as long as we shake our heads and say, "not for baby finn," you'll walk away from it.
-you've become very attached to your two soft blankets, and like to carry them with you everywhere you go, especially when you've just woken up in the morning or from a nap, or when you get hurt. it is pretty cute. :)
-give your stuffed animals tons of kisses, and always hold them out for us to kiss.
-still think duke and claus are the funniest things in the world and you love to chase them around and play fetch or tag with them.
-you just recently started "howling." haha it is so funny. you'll tilt your head back and go "owwww," just like the dogs do. seriously cracks us up!!
-you're just as busy as ever...constantly on the go and into things. although i will say that this past month you've spent more time reading your books and sitting down and playing with a toy, even if it is only for a few minutes at a time.
-throw some pretty serious tantrums when you don't get your way. we're pretty good about ignoring you, but all i can say is i am not looking forward to the "terrible two's!" ;)
finners, you are just the cutest boy on the planet, and dad and i love you more than you could ever know. you are such a ray of sunshine in our home, and keep us rolling on the ground and smiling pretty much the whole day long. i don't know what we ever did without you in our lives, and i am so grateful you are ours forever. :) love you dude!
love,
mom
wow, this past month flew by! i don't know what it is about the summer months, but they always seem to go way too fast. this month, though, it just went faster than any month ever, i really don't know where the time went! honestly, like i don't even know what we did this past month haha, apparently i am losing my mind. ;)
you are still growing and learning new things every day. when i look at pictures of you now compared to pictures of you three months ago, you honestly just look so much older...it is freaky! you still have that same cute look though, which i love. :) besides my birthday and friendunion 2012, i really can't think of what else we did this past month. mostly i guess we just hang out inside since it is so unbearably hot outside. we still go out there for a little while every day. you, being the little explorer that you are, love to just roam the great outdoors. ;)
some fun/funny/cute things about you at sixteen months old....
-you know what sounds a dog, cat, cow, and bunny rabbit make (the bunny doesn't make a sound, just scrunches his nose and moves his mouth! haha)
-say "dada" and "uh-oh" all the time. i'm pretty sure you think that dad, me and grandma are all called "dada," so we are working on teaching you the difference. ;) and any time anything falls or you drop something, you say "uh-oh" in the cutest little sing-song voice i have ever heard!
-you wave to anyone and everyone, wherever we go, all day long. it is adorable when we are out and about shopping and you wave to everyone. or anytime you leave the room that me and dad are in, you'll turn around and wave. cracks us up!
-love to blow kisses, and whenever i'm on my way out and say, "love you finners," you'll blow me a kiss. melt!
-take 2 two-hour naps every day. love it!
-still teething your k-9's. i wish those darn teeth would come in!
-some days you are great with food, and will eat whatever we put in front of you. other days it is a struggle, and you won't eat anything. i think it may have to do with teething?
-you walk on your tippy-toes half the time, and you will twirl on command (if we say "twirly, twirly, twirly) so we are hoping this doesn't mean you'll be a ballerina someday! ;) haha
-go in and out of the doggy door at your own will.
-you've been getting a lot rougher with the dogs, and with us, and will hit very aggressively. we are trying to teach you "gentle." hopefully you'll figure it out before october! :-0
-still walk up to things you know aren't for you and shake your head. every now and then you'll test us and go for it, but for the most part, as long as we shake our heads and say, "not for baby finn," you'll walk away from it.
-you've become very attached to your two soft blankets, and like to carry them with you everywhere you go, especially when you've just woken up in the morning or from a nap, or when you get hurt. it is pretty cute. :)
-give your stuffed animals tons of kisses, and always hold them out for us to kiss.
-still think duke and claus are the funniest things in the world and you love to chase them around and play fetch or tag with them.
-you just recently started "howling." haha it is so funny. you'll tilt your head back and go "owwww," just like the dogs do. seriously cracks us up!!
-you're just as busy as ever...constantly on the go and into things. although i will say that this past month you've spent more time reading your books and sitting down and playing with a toy, even if it is only for a few minutes at a time.
-throw some pretty serious tantrums when you don't get your way. we're pretty good about ignoring you, but all i can say is i am not looking forward to the "terrible two's!" ;)
finners, you are just the cutest boy on the planet, and dad and i love you more than you could ever know. you are such a ray of sunshine in our home, and keep us rolling on the ground and smiling pretty much the whole day long. i don't know what we ever did without you in our lives, and i am so grateful you are ours forever. :) love you dude!
love,
mom
Jul 30, 2012
..friendunion 2012..
dear finn,
we just got back from our annual friendunion trip, and it was a blast! this year we rented a cabin up in heber. not too far away for most of us, but still a nice change of pace and scenery. we spent the weekend just hanging out in the cabin, eating delicious shakes from dairy keen, munching on snacks, eating delicious dutch oven food cooked by gary, riding the alpine slide, the girls went shopping, the boys went golfing and played on jet skis and you and your little friends spent lots of time "playing" together. haha it really is so fun to watch you interact with kids your own age.
my favorite parts of the weekend were shopping at the outlet malls in park city with the girls. it's always nice to get away and have some girl time. plus i got you and samuel some cute clothes and dad didn't even get mad. :) always a plus!
i also enjoyed the night we spent in park city with the whole gang, wearing our ridiculous matching t-shirts. the t-shirts started out as a joke, and they still kind of are, but secretly i love taking the group picture in them. plus, this year we got shirts for the babies, which makes it even better, in my opinion. anyway, we ate dinner at red banjo - best pizza in the world. and even though the service was terrible and they were out of most of the stuff we wanted to order, it was still fun to just be together with everyone. after dinner, we headed over to park city mountain resort, where you enjoyed your first ride down the alpine slide!!! at first i didn't think you'd be able to do it because it says you have to be at least two years old, but we got ya a ticket and no one asked any questions! i was a little (okay, a lot) worried about the chair lift ride up to the top of the slide. you are just so squirmy and i was worried you'd fall off but dad said he just held on tight to you and you did great! way to go. i was waiting to take your picture at the bottom of the slide...your face was hilarious. you weren't smiling, you just had this funny look on your face, but dad said he heard you "oohing" and "ahhing" on the way down, so i think you must have enjoyed it! after taking our group picture, the boys went down the coaster while jen and krew and me and you walked down to rocky mountain chocolate factory for a delicious caramel apple. mmm mmm yum! then we headed home. it was a wonderful night!
the next day you, dad and me took a scenic drive up to deer valley (through gardman's pass in heber), then took a chair lift to the top of the mountain. it was beautiful! you could see all of park city, heber and jordanelle reservoir. we then ate lunch at an overly-priced cafe, and the food was quite interesting, to say the least. dad then met up with ferrell and ben to do some jet-skiing at jordanelle, while you and i headed back to the cabin to hang out with the gang. we spent the rest of the day watching the olympics, playing games and just chillin. gary cooked us all a delicious dutch oven dinner that night...my mouth is still watering for those potatoes!!
the next morning we packed up pretty early and headed home. the cabin was so filthy dirty that me and my ocd were having a hard time enjoying myself while sitting in it. it just looked like it hadn't been cleaned in forever....there was dirt and grime and hair everywhere, and it was like that when we first arrived. then, the first night we were there i saw a mouse. ick. i didn't scream because i didn't want to wake you and and your friends up, but the girls who saw my reaction to the mouse said it was pretty hilarious...i don't even remember what i did, i just remember walking away then running to a chair and sitting there pretty much the rest of the night! despite the gross cabin though, it was a fun weekend. i'm already looking forward to friendunion 2013!
love you finners.
love,
mom
we just got back from our annual friendunion trip, and it was a blast! this year we rented a cabin up in heber. not too far away for most of us, but still a nice change of pace and scenery. we spent the weekend just hanging out in the cabin, eating delicious shakes from dairy keen, munching on snacks, eating delicious dutch oven food cooked by gary, riding the alpine slide, the girls went shopping, the boys went golfing and played on jet skis and you and your little friends spent lots of time "playing" together. haha it really is so fun to watch you interact with kids your own age.
 |
| ..krew and you, waitin' for shakes at dairy keen.. |
i also enjoyed the night we spent in park city with the whole gang, wearing our ridiculous matching t-shirts. the t-shirts started out as a joke, and they still kind of are, but secretly i love taking the group picture in them. plus, this year we got shirts for the babies, which makes it even better, in my opinion. anyway, we ate dinner at red banjo - best pizza in the world. and even though the service was terrible and they were out of most of the stuff we wanted to order, it was still fun to just be together with everyone. after dinner, we headed over to park city mountain resort, where you enjoyed your first ride down the alpine slide!!! at first i didn't think you'd be able to do it because it says you have to be at least two years old, but we got ya a ticket and no one asked any questions! i was a little (okay, a lot) worried about the chair lift ride up to the top of the slide. you are just so squirmy and i was worried you'd fall off but dad said he just held on tight to you and you did great! way to go. i was waiting to take your picture at the bottom of the slide...your face was hilarious. you weren't smiling, you just had this funny look on your face, but dad said he heard you "oohing" and "ahhing" on the way down, so i think you must have enjoyed it! after taking our group picture, the boys went down the coaster while jen and krew and me and you walked down to rocky mountain chocolate factory for a delicious caramel apple. mmm mmm yum! then we headed home. it was a wonderful night!
love you finners.
love,
mom
Jul 18, 2012
..happy birthday to mom..
dear finn,
today yours truly celebrated turning another year older, and wiser, too, i might add. ;) it was a lovely day, thanks to you, dad and grandma cindy.
you were such an amazing little dude all day. you took a great morning nap, then when you woke up we got some lunch at mcdonald's, and to my amazement you ate your entire happy meal! first time that has ever happened. we then went shopping for a few hours, and i swear to you, you didn't make one fussy peep the entire time!! you were a complete angel, so thank you. :)
later in the day grandma cindy came over to babysit you while dad and i went to dinner and to see "wicked." it was opening night at the capitol theater! it is definitely in my top two favorite musicals (that, and aida), so it was the perfect way to spend my birthday night. our dinner at ruth's chris was to die for.
thanks for making me feel so special and loved, today, and every day mr. finn. i love you more than you'll ever know! here's to 26...let's hope it's a good year! :)
love,
mom
today yours truly celebrated turning another year older, and wiser, too, i might add. ;) it was a lovely day, thanks to you, dad and grandma cindy.
you were such an amazing little dude all day. you took a great morning nap, then when you woke up we got some lunch at mcdonald's, and to my amazement you ate your entire happy meal! first time that has ever happened. we then went shopping for a few hours, and i swear to you, you didn't make one fussy peep the entire time!! you were a complete angel, so thank you. :)
later in the day grandma cindy came over to babysit you while dad and i went to dinner and to see "wicked." it was opening night at the capitol theater! it is definitely in my top two favorite musicals (that, and aida), so it was the perfect way to spend my birthday night. our dinner at ruth's chris was to die for.
love,
mom
Jul 10, 2012
..15 months old..
my dear sweet finn,
you are 15 months old today, and growing more handsome and adorable all the time (not that you weren't either of those things to begin with!). it is amazing to me how old you seem. you are definitely no longer my little baby, but i'm actually okay with that. :) i love watching you grow and learn new things each and every day, and i feel more and more grateful all the time for the opportunity i've been given to stay at home with you. we sure do have lots of fun together.
this past month was a fun one, with our trip to hawaii and all. :) we've also spent lots of time with family, which we are extremely grateful for. i feel so blessed to have such a supportive, loving family. even though not everyone lives close by, it is great when we do get to see them and we definitely cherish that time spent together. the weather has been rather unbearable lately, so we haven't spent much time outside, and if we do, it is only for small periods of time. 100+ degrees is just waaaaaay too hot, if you ask me. ;)
some of my favorite things about you at this age are:
-whenever you hear an airplane, you immediately point to the sky.
-if we ask you how old you are, you hold one finger up, then start clapping because you know you're so smart. :)
-you learned how to climb up and down the ladder on your swing set and you are obsessed with doing both.
-you loooooove to play on the trampoline and you are sooooooo close to being able to jump.
-you know how to do the actions for the "wipers on the bus go swish swish swish." grandma cindy taught you that while we were doing the road to hana in maui. :)
-you learned how to go through the doggy door, and as such, you have become quite the escape artist. ;)
-your eating habits are greatly improving. you will at least try most things we attempt to feed you.
-you love stuffed animals, books, and all sorts of toys, all of which you will play with for minutes at a time. (minutes may not sound like a lot, but trust me, for you it is! ;))
-whenever you see a baby doll, your eyes light up, you run to it and immediately start to kiss its head, over and over and over again. we haven't bought you one yet (because let's be honest, boys shouldn't play with dolls haha) but it is cute to watch you.
-you are fascinated with older kids (like max and shaya). pretty sure you could follow them around all day long.
-you are a total flirt with women/girls but you love to hang with the boys.
-you have become less of a daddy's boy and more of a both-mom-and-dad-boy, which i of course love. :) dad misses being the favorite. ;)
-you have started to climb on anything you can.
-you have all your one-year-old molars and are currently teething your k9's.
-lucy is your girlfriend, and whenever you see her through the front door (the glass one) you start banging your hands against it! ha
-you are into everything. drawers, cupboards, closets, baskets. all the things you shouldn't like, but you also know where all your toys/books are and i often catch you playing with those as well.
-you still love to be in the backyard as much as possible.
-you mimic almost everything we do. if you see me brushing my hair, you'll grab the brush and do the same. same thing with lotion, q-tips and lots of other things that i can't think of right now.
-learned how to open doors, much to our dismay. ;)
-take 2 two-hour naps, one a couple hours after you wake up every morning, and one in the afternoon. it is splendid!
i'm sure there are lots more cute things you do that i am forgetting, so i'll try to add them as they come to me. suffice it so say, you are the cutest, silliest little boy ever. you keep us entertained all day long, and most of the time we are in hysterics over all the silly little things you do. one of the first things that aunt tiff noticed when she was in town was what a ham you are. you sure are one silly little boy, and we love it! you are still just as good-natured as ever, and dare i even say it, i think you may be an obedient little child. i guess only time will tell.
you had a dr.'s appointment today, and here are your stats:
weight: 22 lbs 14 oz (28th percentile)
height: 31 inches (48th percentile)
head circ: ?? (75th percentile)
dr. reese said you are healthy and normal and he loved watching how silly and cute you are. your next appointment isn't until october 12th.....crazy to think you could be a big bro by then!!! yikes!
i love you more than you'll ever know finn. thanks for making me the happiest girl in the world, each and every day. :)
love,
mom
you are 15 months old today, and growing more handsome and adorable all the time (not that you weren't either of those things to begin with!). it is amazing to me how old you seem. you are definitely no longer my little baby, but i'm actually okay with that. :) i love watching you grow and learn new things each and every day, and i feel more and more grateful all the time for the opportunity i've been given to stay at home with you. we sure do have lots of fun together.
this past month was a fun one, with our trip to hawaii and all. :) we've also spent lots of time with family, which we are extremely grateful for. i feel so blessed to have such a supportive, loving family. even though not everyone lives close by, it is great when we do get to see them and we definitely cherish that time spent together. the weather has been rather unbearable lately, so we haven't spent much time outside, and if we do, it is only for small periods of time. 100+ degrees is just waaaaaay too hot, if you ask me. ;)
some of my favorite things about you at this age are:
-whenever you hear an airplane, you immediately point to the sky.
-if we ask you how old you are, you hold one finger up, then start clapping because you know you're so smart. :)
-you learned how to climb up and down the ladder on your swing set and you are obsessed with doing both.
-you loooooove to play on the trampoline and you are sooooooo close to being able to jump.
-you know how to do the actions for the "wipers on the bus go swish swish swish." grandma cindy taught you that while we were doing the road to hana in maui. :)
-you learned how to go through the doggy door, and as such, you have become quite the escape artist. ;)
-your eating habits are greatly improving. you will at least try most things we attempt to feed you.
-you love stuffed animals, books, and all sorts of toys, all of which you will play with for minutes at a time. (minutes may not sound like a lot, but trust me, for you it is! ;))
-whenever you see a baby doll, your eyes light up, you run to it and immediately start to kiss its head, over and over and over again. we haven't bought you one yet (because let's be honest, boys shouldn't play with dolls haha) but it is cute to watch you.
-you are fascinated with older kids (like max and shaya). pretty sure you could follow them around all day long.
-you are a total flirt with women/girls but you love to hang with the boys.
-you have become less of a daddy's boy and more of a both-mom-and-dad-boy, which i of course love. :) dad misses being the favorite. ;)
-you have started to climb on anything you can.
-you have all your one-year-old molars and are currently teething your k9's.
-lucy is your girlfriend, and whenever you see her through the front door (the glass one) you start banging your hands against it! ha
-you are into everything. drawers, cupboards, closets, baskets. all the things you shouldn't like, but you also know where all your toys/books are and i often catch you playing with those as well.
-you still love to be in the backyard as much as possible.
-you mimic almost everything we do. if you see me brushing my hair, you'll grab the brush and do the same. same thing with lotion, q-tips and lots of other things that i can't think of right now.
-learned how to open doors, much to our dismay. ;)
-take 2 two-hour naps, one a couple hours after you wake up every morning, and one in the afternoon. it is splendid!
i'm sure there are lots more cute things you do that i am forgetting, so i'll try to add them as they come to me. suffice it so say, you are the cutest, silliest little boy ever. you keep us entertained all day long, and most of the time we are in hysterics over all the silly little things you do. one of the first things that aunt tiff noticed when she was in town was what a ham you are. you sure are one silly little boy, and we love it! you are still just as good-natured as ever, and dare i even say it, i think you may be an obedient little child. i guess only time will tell.
you had a dr.'s appointment today, and here are your stats:
weight: 22 lbs 14 oz (28th percentile)
height: 31 inches (48th percentile)
head circ: ?? (75th percentile)
dr. reese said you are healthy and normal and he loved watching how silly and cute you are. your next appointment isn't until october 12th.....crazy to think you could be a big bro by then!!! yikes!
i love you more than you'll ever know finn. thanks for making me the happiest girl in the world, each and every day. :)
love,
mom
Jul 4, 2012
..4th of july..
dear finn,
we were going to go to another firework show tonight, however you, me and dad were all exhausted from being up late the night before so we decided to just hit the sack early.
we had a relaxed, but fun, 4th of july this year. to kick things off, last night we went to the north salt lake firework show. neither dad or i had ever been to this one, but some friends invited us to go so we decided to give it a shot. it was a spectacular show, and you absolutely LOVED the fireworks!!! we made sure to bring your earmuffs since we know you don't like loud noises. so you just sat in your stroller with your earmuffs on, and stared up at the pretty lights in the sky the whole entire time! it was so cute. by the end you wanted to take the earmuffs off and the loud bangs didn't even scare you. maybe you're not afraid anymore??! well, the show was good, the drive home, however, was not. it took us 10 minutes to get to the show, 45 minutes to get home, thanks to traffic. :( luckily you slept the whole time, so that was good. :)
this morning we went to breakfast with grandma cindy and some of the osborne family down at mimi's restaurant in sandy. it has been a bit of a tradition over the years for us to go to breakfast on the 4th. we haven't done it the past couple years though, so i was glad when someone mentioned going. you were super silly and cute, and had fun flirting with julie, isabelle and olivia. :)
we took it easy this afternoon and pretty much just slept and got things done around the house. we had a bbq tonight with nanny goat, aunt wendy and shaya. it was fun to spend time with them since they live so far away! we enjoyed a delicious baby-back rib dinner, cooked by yours truly. :) after eating we spent the rest of the night playing in the backyard, on the swing set and trampoline. you had so much fun with your cousin shaya, it was cute for us to see you two playing together. :)
happy birthday america!!
love,
mom
Jul 1, 2012
..road to hana..
dear finn,
when we told people we were going to maui, the one thing that almost everyone told us to do was the "road to hana." i really didn't have any idea what it was, other than a scenic drive, but because so many people raved about it, we decided we better give it a go. we were a little nervous, because it supposedly takes all day, and we didn't know how well you'd do sitting in the car all day, but you were a total champ and made the drive very enjoyable for us all. :)
i didn't take very good notes of the different places we stopped along the way, so this won't be a very informative post. all i can say, is that the drive was the most lush, green and beautiful drives i have ever taken! it compares only to the amalfi coast in italy, but even then you can't compare because they are totally different. basically we were driving on a cliff on the north coast of maui. it sprinkled on and off the whole drive (which i'm assuming is always the case, otherwise how would it stay so green?!), but the mist was actually really nice. there are tons of different stops you can make along the way...hikes you can take, beaches to visit, waterfalls to see, etc etc. we didn't do all of them because it was a hassle to take you in and out of your carseat and we were also pressed for time (we had to make it back to catch our flight home that night). but we did stop at the "must see's," and let me tell you, they didn't' disappoint!
i'd have to say my favorite stop was the black sand beach. i had never seen one before, and it was gorgeous! the sand was totally different than white sand...it didn't feel as nice and didn't come off your toes as easily, but i still really loved it. there was this cool little cave that you had fun exploring in, and a beautiful arch that everyone was taking pictures of. it probably had a name, but like i mentioned, i'm bad with the details. ;)
another one of my favorite stops was the wailua waterfall. this is one of the most famous waterfalls in the world...it appears in lots of magazines and apparently lots of photographers come from all over the world to snap photos of it. it was huge, and obviously gorgeous!
i was bummed that we didn't make it to the red sand beach or the seven sacred pools. the cd we used as our guide said not to stop at the red sand beach unless you are very physically fit and capable because the hike to it is grueling. well, since we didn't have a hiking backpack to put you in, and since i'm pregnant, we decided to skip it. hopefully we'll get to go back another time. the seven sacred pools are at the very end, and take at least a couple hours to hike to, and we just didn't have enough time. so we definitely need to go back and do the road to hana again some day!!!
you didn't start to get fussy until the very end, you good little boy! and by that point, we were all sick of sitting in the car for 6 hours, so who could blame ya for wanting to get out of the car and run around a little? ;) despite the long time sitting, i am glad we did the drive, because it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.
love,
mom
when we told people we were going to maui, the one thing that almost everyone told us to do was the "road to hana." i really didn't have any idea what it was, other than a scenic drive, but because so many people raved about it, we decided we better give it a go. we were a little nervous, because it supposedly takes all day, and we didn't know how well you'd do sitting in the car all day, but you were a total champ and made the drive very enjoyable for us all. :)
i didn't take very good notes of the different places we stopped along the way, so this won't be a very informative post. all i can say, is that the drive was the most lush, green and beautiful drives i have ever taken! it compares only to the amalfi coast in italy, but even then you can't compare because they are totally different. basically we were driving on a cliff on the north coast of maui. it sprinkled on and off the whole drive (which i'm assuming is always the case, otherwise how would it stay so green?!), but the mist was actually really nice. there are tons of different stops you can make along the way...hikes you can take, beaches to visit, waterfalls to see, etc etc. we didn't do all of them because it was a hassle to take you in and out of your carseat and we were also pressed for time (we had to make it back to catch our flight home that night). but we did stop at the "must see's," and let me tell you, they didn't' disappoint!
love,
mom
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