Laynie's New Look

Laynie has discovered her hair clip and this new problem is seriously going to be the death of me! I have tried to distract her every way I can think of but she always finds her clips and she thinks it is so funny when she pulls it out! So, we are going for a new look. Ryan likes her in the side pony the best, but I like the double pony because it keeps all her hair out of her eyes. What do you think?

(This is how Laynie feels about her new do!)

Laynie is 10 months old! (and a poem)

The Most Important Thing About My Baby Sister Is . . .

The most important thing about my baby sister is that she loves me.

She rolls around the room.

She's always curious.

I love to hold her.

I play with her.

Her face is peach.

Her cheeks are rosy red.

She's hilarious.

She can be annoying.

But the most important thing about my baby sister is that she loves me.

by Jacob Stohl

Laynie is 9 months old!

Laynie turned 9 months old yesterday! She has changed our life in so many ways and we couldn't be more grateful that she is part of our family. She loves to play with toys, try to get her brother's attention, and crawl backwards (now that takes talent!). She is much improved in the sleeping area and she loves to eat. The boys can't wait until the future when she can walk and talk, but I am just enjoying every moment of right now!

Our Talented Kids

Jacob had his first piano recital on Saturday. He did such a great job! He has a very talented (and very patient) piano teacher. She taught her students how to introduce their piano pieces as well as how to bow when they were finished. When it was Jacob turn he quickly walked to the piano while introducing his piece. He was so relieved when finished that his bow was very big and very dramatic!

And . . . Laynie learned a new trick! Not only is she sitting up by herself, but she claps as well! Can you believe Kelly and I have such talented kids? We are very proud!

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

The boys have had the best time playing in all of the snow (while Laynie and I stay safely tucked inside my parent's warm house!). They have built snowman after snowman and have shoveled the sidewalk and driveway of every house on my parent's street. They especially love being pulled behind the 4-wheeler on their sleds!

On Saturday, my parents, the brave souls that they are, decided to take Jacob and Ryan snowshoeing by their cabin (It is just too bad that I had to stay home and watch Laynie, I was just dieing to go with!) My parents could not believe how well the boys did. Ryan told me he was a trooper, and my parents agreed. It was so cold that even their water bottles froze!

So, while my parents and the boys froze to death on top of a mountain, Laynie and I played at home in her new exersaucer (her Christmas present from my parents. How in the world are we going to get this thing home?) We hope you are enjoying all of this cold weather as much as we are!

Mmm Mmm Good!

Busy

I have been very busy getting ready for a holiday boutique that my friends and I are hosting the weekends before and after Thanksgiving. I was hoping to get a happy, smiling picture of Laynie wearing a onesie and skirt I plan to sell, but she has become so distracted by the red light on the camera that she will no longer smile for pictures. I am hoping this is only a phase. Please check out the blog we have created for the boutique when you have a chance, and if you live in the area I hope to see you there!

Today's the day!

I know there are a few important things happening in this Country today, but around our house nothing is quite as exciting as Laynie turning six months old! We waited many years for her to join our family, and now that she is here we are so blessed! She is such a sweet baby with a fun personality. She loves her brothers and tries so hard to get their attention. She laughs at them and makes noises until they will acknowledge her. And, they are great big brothers too! They love to hold her, can't stand to see her cry and always roll her back over when she gets stuck on her belly. We are a better family because she is here. We are having so much fun watching her learn and grow!

Laynie is 4 months old!

Laynie turned 4 months old yesterday, and she is now 12 pounds! She is getting even cuter and happier every day. If we could just get her to stop crying in her carseat life would be good!

Laynie has the most beautiful eyes! They are still so dark and we can't decide what color they will be. What do you think?

Bad Hair Day

Fire Station

As a requirement for Jacob's Wolf Badge we visited the Fire Station with a few friends. It was a good reminder to us mom's that we really do need to have a plan in place in case of a fire, or any emergency for that matter. When one of the Firemen asked how we would call 9-1-1 if we were awaken in the middle of the night to a fire, Jacob said he would just "pull out the cell phone from my pocket and make the call". First, Jacob does not have a cell phone, and second, if he did would he really sleep with it in his pocket (not to mention his PJs don't even have pockets!)?

The boys loved trying on the gear, "driving" the ambulance, and meeting all of the Firemen.

I think Laynie looks especially pleased with her first glimpse of "men in uniform"!

Ryan Takes a Fall . . . Again!

After a gentle reprimand by our Stake President for not having attended the temple since before Laynie was born, I decided I would go early Saturday morning. I thought that if I went early enough I could return before things got going around my house. Boy was I wrong! This is what I returned home to:

Ryan fell going up the stairs (who would of thought it was possible) and hit his cheek on the windowsill. He was bleeding both outside and inside his mouth! Apparently he laid where he had fallen for quite a while before someone (his FATHER!) decided to go and see why he was upset. So, this is what the carpet now looks like (after two different carpet cleaners and much scrubbing):

Does anyone have a suggestion for getting blood out of carpet?

And, in case a picture of bloody carpet is not what you were hoping to see, here is a much nicer (and cuter) image:

She is getting so big! She is crying a lot less and smiling a lot more. I love watching the boys make her smile and laugh. She is so much fun!

Laynie's Smile

I recently read an article about a baby's smile. Turns out that seeing a baby smile can actually activates the pleasure receptors in the brain creating a natural high. Even if it is not your own baby, you can still feel it. So, go ahead, enjoy a "high" on Laynie. We are happy to share!

(I hope you can enjoy her while trying to ignore my nonstop chatter! Sorry about that!)

A Small Miracle

While Laynie is absolutely adorable, has the cutest smile and has many other redeemable qualities, she does lack in a certain area. SHE WILL NOT SLEEP! I spend most of my day, feeding her, getting her to sleep, putting her in her crib, running around for 10 minutes getting work done, calming her down from her crying fit, patting her back, putting her back in her crib, running around for 10 minutes and it goes on and on. So, when a kind friend offered her swing to me, I jumped at the chance to see if Laynie would like it. While she will not just sit in it and enjoy life when she is awake, if I have her asleep and put her in the swing, she will stay there for up to two hours! It truly is a miracle! I know she can't do this forever, but for the time being, HALLELUJAH!

Laynie takes a bath . . .

BEFORE . . .

DURING . . .

AFTER !!

More of Laynie's Room

I can't help myself! I love decorating a girly room! We found this cutest pink chandelier which Kelly installed all by himself (cross your fingers, no house fire yet!). We hung the adorable quilt my mom made and the unbelievable banner my super creative friend Heidi made from the rosettes she crafted for my Baby Shower. I love to walk in her room and just breath in all the girliness!

Beautiful Pictures

My good friend Lindsay just got a new camera and offered to take pictures of Laynie. They turned out so great! She took over 100 pictures and I couldn't believe how cooperative Laynie was. My mom and I tried more than once to take pictures for Laynie's birth announcement and each session lasted only a few minutes before Laynie began to cry. Lindsay was able to get some beautiful pictures which I will use for Laynie's announcements as well as many more! Thanks Lindsay (Laynie will be your model anytime)!

We promise we didn't let her cry for long, but it is amazing how cute she looks, even when she is crying!

Sneak Peek . . .

I loved having my mom here for the entire month of May! After months of feeling like I couldn't accomplish a thing, it was nice to get a few projects done. After working on the yards, we decided to work on Laynie's bedroom. It was so much fun to decorate a room in pink!

My mom made the cutest quilt for Laynie's room so we decided to center the room around it. We had already painted the room brown, and it matched the quilt perfectly.

Here are the curtains made from the same line of fabric as the quilt. I just love them. I can't wait until Laynie gets older and can begin to appreciate just how cute her room is!

Who does she look like?

I can't decide who Laynie looks like. Sometimes I think Jacob, and sometimes I think she looks just like Ryan. The other day I walked up to her crib in the NICU and thought she looked just like Jess (my brother)! Who do you think she looks like?

Laynie Comes Home!

Laynie came home from the hospital Thursday. We are so excited to finally have her home with us! She is doing really well. Our biggest challenge is having to wake her up every three hours so that she can try to breastfeed, we can feed her a bottle and then I can pump. The whole process takes about an hour and a half, which means an hour and a half later it is time to start the whole ordeal over again. It takes up most of our day which is why . . .

I am so glad to have my mom here with us! When I called her to tell her Laynie was coming, she did not hesitate. In fact she was in Colorado less than four hours later! She has been such an amazing help. The boys love having her here, and in fact, like it better when Kelly and I are not! She amazes Kelly every day with her ability to have the clothes you wore that day washed, dried, and folded on our dresser before we go to bed that night. She has even offered to take the boys back with her to Utah in June so that they can have a fun summer vacation before they start back to school the first week of July. Thank you Mom, for all of your help. We love and appreciate you!