Sunny 9 for 2007 April

(2) Mon Apr 02 2007 13:44 Fun Stuff: So I recovered from my awful week last week because Jenni felt bad for me and called me up Thursday and told me she was going to watch my kids for me and made me leave the house for at least two hours. It was so nice, let me tell you, and she didn't even have to tell me twice. I took her up on it right away. I decided that I should drive out to the Distribution Center at the temple and get some new G's since I had been meaning to, but dreading the 30 hour trip there and then again back with the kids. I also stopped by Old Navy and bought Lily the cutest brown paisley-ish swimsuit to get ready for Moppie's pool in the summer. Last summer I was so bummed when I bought her a cute "lily" swimsuit from Gymboree and she only got to wear it once because it disappeared after we went to Bandera while everyone was in town for David's wedding. It must have been left on the banks there when I changed Lily but I could have sworn I put it in the trunk. When I get to the afterlife, these are questions I want to have answered, like where did all the things that got lost go? I would love to know.

I also went to Bath and Body Works because their Wallflowers were on sale, and I needed a new one since mine all the sudden stopped working. I also went by Costco for gas and Lily's diapers...can't forget those. It's amazing all the things you can get done when you don't have to strap kids into car seats or get them in and out of the car. Thanks Jenni for watching the kids!! I owe you big time.

I continued my shopping spree on Sat when Aaron was home and I could get away again. I went to Rack Room Shoes and bought myself some new running shoes to go with the gym membership I signed up with. I debated back and forth whether I needed a gym membership or not, and I didn't really want to pay for one but in the end it came down to this: Gunnar is getting too heavy to carry in the pack, I have a double jogging stroller but Gunnar doesn't like it yet-can't blame him, I wouldn't want Lily sitting next to me throwing her sippy cup on my head either, it is starting to get hot outside and I know Texas summers are not conducive to going on a "nice walk" outside, when it is not hot it seems like it is raining, and I need a little time to myself and this gym has a nice kids center.

Another fun thing we did this weekend was getting together with Josh, Jenni, Jake, Erin, and the kids to watch General Conference together and making brunch and dinner. This is the last one we can do this as a triplet because Josh and Jenni are moving, boo hoo. To carry on the tradition, the girls crafted in between the sessions while the boys watched the kids. I use the term watched loosely. More like while they played World of Warcraft online. This time we decided to make wood vinyl signs. Jenni got all the stuff (saw and router) for V-day, and so she cut us some pieces of wood. We painted it and then printed out the vinyl letters off of her handy dandy notebook-haha, just kidding, her handy dandy Cricut which is so awesome by the way. I made the cutest sign ever. I love it. It is going in Lily's room but I painted it green in case I want to move it to Gunnar's or put it in another future boy/girl's room.

So it was a nice relaxing weekend after a bad week. Luckily, I think I am over it though for now especially since I have my gym outlet. I can go even if it is yucky outside.

(2) Mon Apr 02 2007 23:01 The day Gunnar was born: I have been meaning to fill one of these out since Lily was born for her. I think it is a little too late in her case but I went ahead and finally got one done for Gunnar before it was too late. It is just a little questionnaire about what the world was like when the baby is born. It is mainly for me and Gunnar’s baby book, but I decided to post it here in case anyone wanted to read any of it.

What baby’s names are you considering for a boy? Gunnar, Liam, and Dregan in that order…we were thinking about Gunnar Liam, Gunnar Paul, and Gunnar Aaron besides Gunnar Walch. In the beginning, Aaron wanted McKinnley Bexar but I vetoed Bexar and everyone kept saying McKinnley for a girl right? How could we ever name a boy McKinnley after that? I liked Seth but it’s a good thing it doesn’t sound good with Smith behind it because Melanie and Joe ended up using it.

What baby’s names are you considering for a girl? We weren’t really thinking you would be a girl so we didn’t really talk much about it, but Aaron liked Abigail (Abby) and I liked Grace and to be honest I can even remember right now.

What is your favorite TV show? 24 and Lost and Heroes

What was your favorite movie this year? Favorite? I wouldn’t go so far but I like Devil Wears Prada, The Holiday, and The Prestige

What was the last book you read? The Right Attitide to Rain by Alexander McCall Smith

What were the last three videos you rented? Eragon, Flushed Away, Casino Royale

What headlined in the national news the day your baby was born? Not sure

Where are you currently living? 9306 Dublin Green SA, TX

Who are your neighbors? Mike and Margie, Christi and Aaron Easton up the street and Jake and Erin a couple streets over

How do you feel physically and emotionally in your eighth month? Very ready to have you already. I felt as if I couldn’t get any bigger. Excited to not be pregnant but scared to have another baby.

How do you feel physically and emotionally in your ninth month? Well done. You were induced 11 days early so I knew I only had to hold out so long. Very anxious to get the projects we had done. Aaron built the deck right before and after you were born, and I wanted your room done, but alas it is still not even started. Also, your Aunt Hailey was out stealing everybody's thunder with her baby news. First she tops Melanie's twins announcement with her own twins announcement and then she schedules the twin's induction a month early on your induction day, the nerve, only to one-up me again having them the day before. We get it Hailey. Not only are you having TWINS but you are having GIRLS. Is it enough that they will probably be the favorite of Grammy Smith out of the passel of grandkids she got last year (being that she loves to buy clothes for girls) but to steal everyone's thunder as well, mine in particular?! (Anybody that knows me, knows I am totally teasing Hailey and mean no malice at all.) At least I had you early because then you would have been the last straggler out of the group.

How do you feel physically and emotionally now that your baby is born? At first I was scared about having a boy because it was new territory, but after I got to know you in the hospital, I loved having you and knew that you were such a sensitive sweet boy that liked his mama. I was scared though of what Lily might do to you and she did give you a couple battle wounds. I loved that I had one of each, boy and girl now. Physically I couldn’t have felt better after giving birth. Your recovery was so much easier than your sister’s. You came out in 3 pushes.

Who was present at the birth of your child? Aaron, Mom (Grandma Taylor), Dr. Finney, and 2 nurses one being Diane Montoya in Park Wood ward

Who visited you in the hospital or birthing center? Poppie Taylor came to the hospital and almost witnessed your birth thinking you were already out, Michelle as well, then Lorna and Amanda came soon after with Lily and were able to come up to the recovery room with us and see you in the nursery, Jenni and Erin swapped kids and came both nights in the hospital, Nicole Voge, and Kajsa Nielson came to visit me too. Joe and Louise came, and of course my mom, your grandma.

Who visited or helped out when you and your baby went home? Mom brought me dinner as well as Aunts Jenni and Erin. Michelle Easton, Irene Hibbs, and Sis. Anderson brought dinner from the ward too. Grammy Smith came about a week and a half after you were born for about 2 weeks, and Aunt Aly came to help and brought Atticus and Samuel. For your blessing Grandpa Walch was there as well as Ga-Ga and Grammy Smith, Poppie and Moppie Taylor, Michelle, Lorna, Joe, Louise, Josh, Jenni, Caden, Austin, Jake, Erin, Luke, Leah, and Amanda and even some friends came too. Aaron Easton, James Partridge, Brian Partridge, and Matt Wheelus were in the circle at your blessing and unfortunately Kris Easton was running late otherwise he would have been there too. If I forgot someone it was because there were so many people there.

What were the country's top headlines/World News Headlines? (I looked this up on Wikipedia and it was generally just in the month of Nov.) The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends with a total of nine storms having formed. At least 300 people were killed in clashes between Sudan's army and former rebels in the south earlier this week, aid workers say. Windows Vista goes on sale for bulk license holders with home users being able to buy it on January 30, 2007. Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak. G20 summit. Immigration law debates in the US. Iran's nuclear program. 2006 North Korean nuclear test. Iraq War. United States, House of Representatives, Senate (one third: "Class I" Senators), and many Governors.

What were the most popular internet searches on that day? On MSN today right now some popular searches are: Flex fuel, Inflation, The Da Vinci Code, Steroid probe, ‘Star Wars’ stamps, Bindi Irwin, Bao Xishun, Patty Griffin, Will Ferrell, Cormac McCarthy.

What our politicians were doing? Getting ready for the 2008 Presidential Election

Who was playing & winning in sporting events? Colts won the Super Bowl, NCAA championship is today (Ohio State and U of Florida)

What was happening in the world of business & commerce? The Stock Market had a mini crash a few weeks back, but the market looks like this right now: Dow12,382.30+ 27.95 NASDAQ2,422.26+ 0.62 S&P1,424.55+ 3.69

What the weather was like, did it rain? It actually was raining the day we brought you home from the hospital and I noticed that gas had gone up from $2.11 to $2.19 while I was in the hospital too.

Which celebrity was in the media spotlight and why? Don’t remember and don’t want to remember it forever either.

What were people wearing? It was still relatively warm. The rain cooled it down some but I remember being so bummed because I was always hot being pregnant with you and it would not stop getting into the upper 80’s. It wasn’t fair! Brown was/is the new black that season. Wedge heals, head bands, and camo are some of the fashions.

What was showing at the cinema? Not sure about that day but right after you were born I saw Night at the Museum and The Holiday, both I liked and Aaron saw The Pursuit of Happiness but they spelled it Happyness which I guess is now correct to spell that way too. Videos of popular TV ads that day? Right off the top of my head I can think of the commercial of the Mac vs. the PC played by two actors pretending to be the brains of the computer I guess you could say. Aaron thinks they are do dumb, but I find them hilarious.

The top 25 CDs, DVDs, Computer Games and Toys? Ok, I checked the Billboard top 10 today and this is what is on there, couldn’t get it the day you were born: Akon, Fergie, Beyonce and Shakira, Mims, Gym Class Heroes, Gwen Stefani, Avril Lavigne, Rich Boy, Justin Timberlake, and Daughtry. New Releases out on DVD Rocky Balboa, Eragon, Casino Royale, Stranger Than Fiction, The Prestige, The Departed, Flags of Our Fathers, Flyboys, and Little Miss Sunshine just to name a few. Aaron is playing Halo 2 still and currently wrapped up in World of Warcraft. Lily is watching Dora, Blue’s Clues, Backyardigans, and Wonder Pets. Toys are centered around those themes too. I think that’s it.

How much it cost to buy milk, bread and coffee? Milk was about $3.79 for whole and bread was $3.75 at Great Harvest but at the grocery store around 59 cents to $2.50 depending on what you bought.

What are the top 20 baby names that week? These are the top 10 boy and girl baby names in 2006: Girl Names- Emma, Madison, Ava, Emily, Isabella, Kaitlyn, Sophia, Olivia, Abigail, and Hailey. Boys names- Aiden, Jacob, Ethan, Ryan, Matthew, Jack, Noah, Nicholas, Joshua, and Logan.

And finally a couple things I thought of on my own: President was George W. Bush, VP Dick Cheney. Price of a movie ticket: $6.50 with Student/Military ID or $7.50 regular. We brought you home in the 2000 Mazda 626 (Maroonish).

(3) Wed Apr 04 2007 00:19 Conversations: Me:"Do you realize that Luke was Gunnar's age when he got his first haircut?"

Aaron:"Gunnar already gave himself a haircut."

(4) Tue Apr 10 2007 14:09 Easter, a couple days late: Easter was a success this year even though there was record low's made. The weather was not pretty. It was raining, cold (in the 30's), and it even hailed on me on the way home from a bead class Jenni, Erin, and I took together at Michael's on Sat. We were sad because Sat morning I got up and got the kids ready and myself ready just to find out that the Easter Egg Hunt the Lunt's put on was cancelled from the rain. It was pretty icky, but as the day went on it got colder and colder. I met up with Erin and Jenni for our class and afterward the guys and the kids and we went to dinner. We then had an Easter Egg Hunt for Caden and Lily inside the house. It turned out great for 2 and 3 yr olds because the eggs were pretty easy to find.

On Sunday, the Easter Bunny left Lily a pink pig toy bubbles machine and an outfit. I figure she had gotten enough candy the night before. I got woken up that morning to her talking underneath the door crack saying, "Mom, I want the pink pig!" I put the Easter basket on the counter because I didn't want her to get into it without being there because I know Lily, and I know she would open up the bubbles and spill them all over the carpet. I got her basket down for her and showed her the things in it. She held the "cute outfit" in her hands for about 1.5 seconds before tossing them on the floor and grabbing the pink pig. She loves bubbles.

Sunday we had dinner at my mom's and she made ham, cranberry walnut salad, rolls, and artichoke dip. I brought the sour cream potatoes. As if Lily didn't have enough candy, my mom and the girls set up a little Easter Egg Hunt at my mom's house too. She had fun looking for tons more eggs and found a "Lily basket" (a small basket) with a porcelain doll in it and treats. She didn't pass up another opportunity to flirt as Leah's boyfriend, Derrick, was there. Lily loves boys. The girl gets crushes on everyone. She definitely knows all her uncles and likes to talk about them, I'll tell you that much. And the same goes for boyfriends like Chuck and Derrick. She talks about her soon to be Uncle Chuck and how he is in Utah at least every other week, and she has only met him twice.

Overall, I was thrilled that Lily was old enough to "get" Easter, at least the part about looking for eggs and enjoying that fun of it. We will have to work on the Resurrection aspect because it went over her head this year. Holidays are so much fun when you have kids; I had forgotten how fun they were. It is like you get to live the excitement through your children again like it once was for you.

A little update on Gunnar. He rolls over pretty well now. I finally witnessed it and he likes to do it when he goes down for a nap for some reason and I have to go back in there and turn him back on his tummy. He also found his thumb and really likes to suck on it. Something that has made car trips less upsetting is the vibrating monkey that Aunt Erin gave Gunnar. He loves looking at it and sucking on it. It usually cheers him up or keeps him occupied for a few minutes. He is such a cute little guy and he sure loves his mama.

(4) Thu Apr 12 2007 13:09 It's not easy being green: So I have been sick these past couple days. Thrown up, just having an upset stomach and feeling weak and queasy if I stand up and move. Pretty much the feeling I get when I am pregnant. Me being pregnant is not possible though, but I would really like to know what is wrong with me and why I have been getting an upset stomach every other week and why this round is lasting more than overnight. You can learn a lot about your kids though when you are sick and slow down. Yesterday I was watching Blue's Clues with Lily and it asked "What's your favorite color?" Lily said, "Purple.....and PINK!" Surprise, surprise. Another 2 yr old girl that likes purple and pink. What is it about those colors that girls like them so much? It's like it is engraved in their brain when they are born. I know those were my favorite colors when I was little. I had a hard time deciding between them. It just amazes me I guess how little boys gravitate toward cars and trucks and weapons and girls toward dolls and princesses. Anyway, I hope I feel better. It isn't fun napping on the couch in between Gunnar being awake, and heaven knows it isn't fun watching Dora. A person could go mad. However I am glad I got to spend some extra time with Lily doing what she likes to do.

(2) Sat Apr 14 2007 18:16 The chid'rens: I love this phase Gunnar is at right now. He has figured out how to play with his toys! Yay, less crying in the car! He can entertain himself for longer than 5 minutes. What freedom. He has also found his thumb and so putting him down for naps has been so much easier. He falls asleep in less than 10 minutes with minimal crying.

He is also getting cuter and less of that alien baby look (sorry, I know a mother shouldn't be admitting that their baby looks like an alien) and growing more into his own personality. It really amazes me how different Gunnar and Lily are. They really do come down with their own disposition. Gunnar is the nicest baby. He is always talking to you even if you are not looking at him and once you do look at him he will unleash his flirtations. He is the biggest coo'er and ahh'er and giggler. You can get him to laugh one fingertip away even mid-cry. And did I mention the most adorable dimples? Well, one obvious one and the other cheek is very slight and sometimes noticeable. He will just sit and smile at you on your lap, and he loves getting his diaper changed because that means more face time! He is just an all around happy guy. Very sweet, and he loves his mama.

We also introduced rice cereal a couple days ago. Success! He loves the stuff. He has finished off every bowl so far. He is not great at it but manages to keep most of it in his mouth, much more than Lily did. I think he takes after me loving food. I was talking with my friend and Jenni the other day on when to introduce rice cereal and I have come to this conclusion. With Lily I wanted to wait the full 6 months I guess because a lot of places say they have a lesser chance of getting food allergies, etc. Plus, I admit, I didn't want my baby growing up too fast and becoming less dependent on me for food. I loved the bond of nursing even if I had to force it upon Lily in the beginning. We started Lily on rice cereal at 5 1/2 months only because Aaron pushed me to. He is good at getting me to let loose for example getting Lily into a twin bed. She would have been in a crib until she could climb out if it were up to me. Gunnar though, up until this week has been eating every 2 hours. And now it is 2 1/2 hours because I am trying to put my foot down and not feed him as much as he would like because if it were up to him, he could suck all day. That's why I gave him rice cereal because I think he needs the extra calories, and plus I know it won't hurt him. So when they say 4-6 months I really do believe 4-6 months. Some babies begin at 4 months (Caden) because they are starving and want more, while others may not need it until later. This just proves to me once again that all babies are different. I don't know if one person can ever mold a baby into sleeping through the night by 8 weeks-4 months either. I just don't believe the books that say you can. Because if you can, tell me what I am doing wrong?!

Poor Lily has been acting out a little more lately. This past week she has been STUBBORN! She just tested the limits 24/7. I felt like I was in a constant struggle with her. She has also been doing baby talk for the past couple weeks. All this I assume to get more attention. One of Lily's quirks is lately she wants to see her poops when we change her diaper. She says, "I want to see my brown poopies." And then she will say, "Gunnar has yellow poop." She is very observant, that one. Closer to being potty trained, they say, when they are interested in their own poop. Hopefully soon she can potty train herself. Or better yet, Aaron can step in once again for me and do it. Maybe when he is done with school in about a month. Ha!

(5) Mon Apr 16 2007 09:45 Just like Betina:

Last night's prayer...

Me:"Please bless what?"

Lily:"Please bless celery (pause for me to repeat everything) and red, and blue, and orange, and purple, and pink, and black."

Me:"Please bless Papa."

Lily:"And white."

Me:"Please bless Gunnar."

Lily:"Bless Gunnar. Amen."

(2) Thu Apr 19 2007 21:53 When the oppressee becomes the oppressor:

This past week Lily has gathered her troops together and gone at me full force. To make matters worse Aaron has been studying till 10:00pm this week too for a couple nights. She has been a firecracker that girl. I think this week it is mainly because she is sick. And because she is 2. In her streak of deviancy, these are things that I have heard come out of her mouth:

To Gunnar while he is crying in the car: "No, Gunnar, stop it. That's a one, that's a two, that's a three. Time out."

Last night at 11:00pm after Aaron got home from school, she came out of her room and said, "I all done with bed, mama. I all done."

While sitting on my lap watching American Idol: "What the freak. Stupid." I don't know what spurred that?! Maybe seeing Sanjaya perform, who knows?

While I am counting down for her to stop unless she wanted to go to time out- Me: "That's a one." Lily: "And that's a three." As she skipped to three, showing me just how much I scare her. And she carried on with what it was she wasn't supposed to be doing, I have forgotten but it was proabably something to do with sticking her fingers down Gunnar's throat and watching him gag.

And my favorite, while trying to put her down for bed for the umpteenth time because she kept getting out, she started running her fingers through my hair and said, "Ah, mama, you hair es pretty. Mama, has pretty brown hair." She knows the meaning of the word manipulation before she even knows what it is called. Ha!

The good news is that Gunnar is becoming a lot easier to handle. Either that or I am finally getting a grip on this whole multiple children thing. It threw me for a loop, that's for sure. Seriously though, I am starting to enjoy moments of my day again. Still running around like a chicken with my head cut off, just not the whole time.