Breakfast Time

Catch up on how Alexander's day is going.





Eat some Foo' Boops (thanks daddy).



Get upset about something.

Could yesterday hold any more "specialness"?

Mr. Nicholas was blessed yesterday. (This picture does not do his blessing outfit justice. It looks a bit off the shoulder. It is a beautiful little outfit I found for $13 at Kid to Kid BRAND NEW!)



Nicholas got his own blessing outfit, but he wore the same shoes Jacob did...I guess that's a bit backwards?



He was angelic and sleepy for all of church





Except for right here and during his blessing. I had multiple people come up to me and say he was "blessed" with strong lungs. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Right before his blessing I told Matt that I felt like a more seasoned mother because I wasn't worried if he cried during the blessing, whereas with Jacob I was terrified that he'd cry. My motherhood was put to the test, because he did cry and cry and cry.



I love this picture. Papa, Matt, Garrett, Nicholas and Lance.



The whole blessing party. Our house was full!



Seriously, he slept and relaxed the whole rest of church.



As we looked at pictures we realized a striking similarity in body posture between Nicholas on his blessing day (see below photo)...



and Jacob on his blessing day! (Although doesn't Jacob just look bald compared to Nicholas?)



Not only was yesterday Nicholas's blessing, it was also Matt's and my 4th anniversary! Look at how young and thin we were!





It was wonderful to see Matt bless Nicholas on our anniversary. It helped me appreciate the man he is. The blessing was so beautiful and really expressed so much of my feelings as well. I am so grateful for Matt. He is such a wonderful husband and father (and he's really, really good looking too).

Can you imagine him at church?

All of these pictures were snapped within 5 minutes by Matt while Jacob watched "pi'chuurs" of himself on the computer.

Jacob is our "constant-motion-man". That, coupled with his extremely loud voice and zest for life, make sacrament meeting a wrestling/shushing match of sorts. Sometimes he wins, sometimes we win. But he always lets everyone in the chapel know exactly where the sacrament is ("water, coming!") and how it tastes (lips smacking "water, yummy!").

On having two kidlets

On the same day that Jacob did this:



Nicholas wouldn't transfer to his crib all night (when I was hoping to sleep) and then effortlessly slept an hour on my bed in the early morning (when my services were needed by the J-man and I thusly couldn't sleep). Can you see Nicholas?



Serious, these boys have some gall. Oh well, I guess I submit to their wiles. It helps that they are so darling. Easily forgiven.

Please note that their wonderful father made the bed and folded some more of "mount laundry" (which has since been conquered).

How to Swaddle a Baby and other Signs of Brilliance

Nicholas has had some issues. Some COLIC issues. Things are getting better all the time, but we still are doing all we can to minimize the crazies. This includes swaddling.

Now, we are smart people, but we have historically been horrible swaddlers. It's hard work! Plus those nurses in the hospital really weren't interested in sharing their swaddling success secrets, so we were always swaddling blind. Finally Dr. Harvey Karp taught us THE way to swaddle. Matt, of course, is more proficient at it than me...

Behold:

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2.


3.


4.


Isn't that awesome?! Not only can Matt swaddle Nicholas and make cheesy grins about it, he also did something truly amazing. He passed the Level III CFA exam. This is the last of three exams that he started taking when I was pregnant with Jacob. He is so smart and dedicated. He passed all three on the first try (something few people do).

We are so proud of you Matt and all that you have accomplished. What a handsome, smart, wonderful guy (see above picture).

Gone Boatin'

Grandma & Grandpa Hutch have a boat. When Jacob went to Tuscaloosa a few weeks ago Brent, Natalie & Jackson were there too and so they all went out on the lake together.

Can you spot Jacob under the watchful care of his Aunt Natalie?



Apparently Uncle Brent would throw Jacob into the air and then let him splash down in the water. Not only does Brent know why lima beans light on fire in the microwave, he also knows how to make friends with a two year old! He is so smart.



The only troubling thing about Jacob's boating experience is that it really brought out his inner villain. Our little Draco.



Thanks again to Grandma, Grandpa, Brent, & Natalie for showing our boy such a good time.

And thanks to Jackson for being so, so cute.

Hulk no good with words

Jacob has been talk, talk, talking a lot lately. Since J.J. only has one volume (LOUD) I have been shush, shush, shushing him a lot lately (particularly when I am attempting to put Nicholas down for a nap). Some of his favorite phrases are: "Get it", "Read it", "Find it", "Fix it", "Do it", "Open it", "Fall down", "Get down", "Sit down", and "Lay down". He'll keep on repeating these things louder and louder until I say, "Did it fall down?" so that he can invariably respond, "Uh huh". Quite a demanding and descriptive little chap, no? But he says them all so cutely (o-pone eet) I can't help but enjoy it.

He's also started to string more than 2 words together. Here are three of his most recent sentences:

The other day he yelled "Us go a-waaay" as we were driving away from the house and has continued to do this EVERY TIME we drive away from the house.

This morning as he lounged in his crib he said "Me cuckle Memo" (his stuffed Nemo).

This last one is mired in controversy. I, the mother, think he said, "I want stay here" while Matt, the father, thinks he said, "me stay in here". But it was said this morning right after the Memo comment. I leave it to "our readers" to decide.



I have this to say. He is very smart, very cute and very bad with pronouns.

(Thanks to Grandma Jan for this adorable photo.)

A million things to do...

...but just wanting to share the cuteness.

Grandparents ARE more fun than parents!

At least they're more fun than parents trying to juggle a toddler and a newborn (excuses, excuses). Check out Jacob in the wading pool at Grandma and Grandpa Hutch's. I think he's enjoying himself, what do you think?







Grandma labeled the following picture "should have wiped", but I say, what's wrong with a little snot trail?



Maybe she should have labeled this next picture "should have pulled up". Just a thought...



Okay, this one clinches it, he was DEFINITELY having lots and lots of fun.



Stay tuned for more pictures of Jacob's whirlwind trip to Tuscaloosa. Thanks again to G & G Hutch!

Baby Face

Nicholas is very, very sweet to stare at. Behold:



He has cute yawns.



And cute sneezes.



He also has cute SMILES!

















Matt and I think that some of his smiles give him a sly-Harrison-Ford-as-Han-Solo sort of look. What a little heart breaker!