A Merry Christmas

It was a great Christmas for us in Logan with Justin's family. Grandma Kathi and all of the grandparents really spoiled us. We had a party at the Campbell's house (Justin's aunt and uncle) where we did white elephant gifts. I think everyone wished they could have taken home my signed 8X10 headshot. Okay, at least it got some good laughs. Christmas morning was definitely a magical one for Nolan, but sadly we couldn't find our camera for half of the morning. He sure loved what Santa brought (a train table and a green garbage truck). Ezra enjoyed his first Christmas, especially the wrapping and tissue paper. Here are some pictures of our happy morning.

Aren't these zipper ties so handsome?

While in Logan, we took a ride up the canyon to Hardware Ranch where they have a wild herd of elk that congregate during the winter. Our sleigh ride through the herd was a fun one. Nolan was mostly interested in looking over the side of the wagon and checking out the wheels. I was so wishing my Dad was with me. He would have loved it. Dad, these pictures are for you!

It's been great to be home because Ezra had some rough nights. He seems to do better in his bed with his normal routine. It has also been good to store some of Nolan's old toys and make room for the new. We'll cycle through his toys so that hopefully he won't ever get too bored with anything.

I'd like to report that I have gained about 2 lbs. since my last post! This is wonderful news and I'm sure it will be a great relief to my mom. On Christmas Day she said, "I can't stand the thought of you wasting away!" I started taking fenugreek (an herb) for my poor milk production and it has really helped. It makes me smell like maple syrup. I've been drinking lots of Ensure Plus, extra water, and I've bought some Clif bars to start eating. There is rarely an hour that goes by that I don't make myself eat something. Believe it or not, it gets annoying. Thankfully, Ezra seems much more satisfied!

Little Thoughts

I'm sitting here just waiting for Christmas Eve to come. I thought I would jot down a few thoughts before I head to bed.

First, Ezra had his 6-month well visit last week. He weighs about 16 lbs. (I can't remember the exact weight) and is in the 24th percentile. He is in the 30th percentile for height and the 50th for his head. He is turning out to be a little guy compared to Nolan at this age. I told the doctor that Ezra continues to wake up around 1:30 a.m. even though I have fed him oatmeal and nursed him at 9:30 p.m. He is concerned that I'm not making enough breast milk. Well, if you've seen me, then you would obviously agree. I certainly don't look like a nursing mother. I've tried giving him formula in a bottle and a syringe (given by the doctor) but he won't put up with it. I'm losing weight (about 3 lbs. in the past 2 weeks) so I'm trying my best to eat lots of food so that I will make more milk and stop wasting away. Thank goodness it's the holidays, right? Love that food!!! Anyway, Ezra is healthy, he just needs to eat in the night for now. I guess for Christmas I'm dreaming of a full night of uninterrupted sleep (along with a lot of other moms out there, I'm sure).

Nolan's vocabulary is really incredible lately. Yesterday he was telling me all about the gears inside of his Grandma K's oven. He said something like, "there are gears in that oven at Grandma K's house by the cookie jar. It gets hot. Not gears in the clock but just in the oven right there." When asked what he wants for Christmas he rattles off this list without taking a breath: "a red semi truck, a green garbage truck, a bumblebee transformer car (how does he even know about that?!), a fire station with a helicopter and the building." Last week my mom was visiting with him just before he was going to bed. They talked for a moment and then during a lull, Nolan said, "So, what's happenin'?" And after sitting on Santa's lap last week, he kept singing his own song: "It was a special day..." We just think he is so much fun. At night we sing him several songs. He sometimes continues to ask for more. Well, one night Justin got up and said, "No more songs. Daddy is too tired to sing. Good night, love you." Before he could get to the door Nolan says, "Don't sing any more songs, Daddy. Just cuddle with me." He is clearly starting to negotiate. I wish I could jot down all the things that make me laugh, bottle them up in a jar, and pull them out for later when I can't remember anymore.

Consider yourself greeted

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year and all the rest. This is our official holiday greeting card since we only send out a few real cards. Getting a family picture just never happened so here are some pictures of our visit to see the temple lights.
It's been a great year for us. We think next year will be even better: we're pretty much done with landscaping, Ezra is starting to sleep through the night (it's about time), and we're going to Disneyland soon! Justin's job is going well. We're really grateful for that. We have good health, our beautiful boys, a cozy home, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. What more could we want? (Other than that new flat screen TV... but we're not going to give into that one) We're certainly excited for Christmas to come. Nolan keeps asking for a red semi truck and a green garbage truck. Um, I'm not sure if Santa got that memo. Sometimes Santa puts in toy orders too early in the season and then kids up and change their mind!
We hope you all have a wonderful time with your loved ones. We're glad to have you in our lives.

We love SWEETS

Yesterday we toured the Sweet's Candy Factory. Nolan seemed most interested in the huge air vents and pipes in the ceiling. Go figure. I was most interested in the free samples. I was really worried as we started out because I had to use one of their umbrella strollers (wouldn't let me use mine) for Ezra. Luckily he sat happily slumped the whole time. And they told us that we had to stay in the yellow lines and not touch anything. Oh boy... this was going to be real fun with Nolan. Well, he did so great that I bought him a box of chocolate cinnamon bears. Turns out he doesn't like them. Oh, that's a shame. The funniest moment was when they handed out a hair net to Ezra. Nolan didn't want to hold Ezra or put his hair net back on for this picture. He kept yelling, "NO, I don't!" But I couldn't resist:Ezra is nearly 6 months old. He's so good natured that sometimes I hardly think it possible to have such a sweet baby. I love kissing those chubby cheeks. You should see his "hip fat." Maybe I'll take a picture and post it some time. All that chub just pops out of his diaper! I love it when I see him just waking up from a nap. He looks around, makes eye contact, and then gives a big groggy grin. I hope he wakes up that happily as a teenager. I won't count on it. As you can see, he has recently discovered his tongue! We love you, Ez!