God Bless America

I was very excited for Collin to celebrate his first Fourth of July. It was also his first trip to Bishop and he did amazing on the long 5 hour car trip. We spent 10 days there. Daddy was recovering from Thyroid surgery so mommy drove and the three kids smooshed into the middle seat together. This was nice for Collin because Hannah could help entertain and feed him. Bishop is a fun place to be on the fourth and I know the kids will all have good memories of their time there. My favorite thing is just to sit back and watch them have fun, away from the crazy fast pace day to day we typically have. They love playing with their cousins and being around family. We fed the ducks at the park, visited the train station, went fishing, went on a hike, went to the farm, went swimming, did art projects and just enjoyed each other. Hannah's favorite activity was the farm. She loved how the two goats Barney and Elsa escaped from the gate. She also enjoyed playing 'My Country Tis of Thee' on the piano, doing sparklers, driving in the back of Gramps' truck, and of course playing Restaurant at the Z Bar with Zane, Weston and Jack. Jack says his favorite part of the trip was playing baseball with mom. You seemed to really enjoy swimming this year and spent a lot of time in the big pool with Uncle Larry, Nana, Gramps and Uncle Jeremy. You will also forever be quoted now with your infamous phrase "We're gunna cook it on the grill" in reference to the fish we caught (always with a shout out to Uncle Jeff/Uncle Jeremy and Great Uncle Larry who always so selflessly give up their catch so the kids can take turns reeling them in.). Collin I think you most enjoyed spending time with new faces particularly Nana, Gramps in the rocking chair and Auntie She She who Tim has officially deemed the baby whisperer. You also liked watching your siblings and big cousins play. I know you'll be running around with them in no time. I enjoyed our family hike even though our typical spot was flooded this year due to all the rain. I love seeing the beauty of the mountains and lake and how much fun the kids have just exploring nature. Hannah and Jack were covered in dirt, skipping rocks, and wading through water. We even witnessed a beautiful bald eagle fly overhead. I've never seen a bald eagle in nature and it was pretty cool. Collin, you are just shy of 4 months but did great on the hike in mommy's front pouch. And of course the 4th is always a highlight. We love watching the fireworks from the back of Gramps' truck while eating popcorn and m&ms. Hannah and Jack love driving back home in the bed of the truck with no seat belts. Collin you slept through both nights of fireworks. This year with a family of five, a baby who wakes 3 times per night and a recovering surgical patient Nana and Gramps gave us their bedroom which meant camp outs in the tent for Hannah and Jack with Zane, Weston, Nana and Gramps. Hannah and I left Bishop for 2 nights and drove to Las Vegas for Hannah's National Dance Competition. We had so much fun together on our own little vacation. I hope I get the chance to take Jack and Collin on their own get away someday as well. While I was gone, Nana took the night shift and Nana and Sherrie stepped up. I missed the boys like crazy, but must say two nights of sleep were glorious. When we returned, I was making up for lost time and giving Jack some extra attention. We were playing baseball together on the grass. He was having so much fun laughing and smiling that it makes me happy to think about, but unfortunately I had a freak accident. I was barefoot and while running, my toe must have gotten stuck in the grass. I knew instantly something was wrong. Uncle Jeremy carried me to the car since Daddy isn't supposed to lift over 15 lbs. and i was off to the emergency room. One xray and two shots later, I had not only dislocated, but also broken the toe. The whole time waiting at the hospital, I was the most sad that I had to leave the baseball game with Jack. Now I'm on crutches and can't carry Collin because I'm on one foot which has been less than convenient. But I'm choosing to look at the bright side and remember all the fun moments from a great trip.

A Three Hour Tour

Summer has started and it's so nice to have lazy days at home and family activities together. To kick off summer, we rented a Duffy boat in Newport and sailed around the island. We had tons of food and of course music to dance to. Captain Grandpa steered the ship with a little help from Hannah and Jack. Collin seemed to love the movement and was perfect the entire time. Hannah and Jack are planning our next ride. Apparently we will be bringing our dog.

3 Month Pictures

Pictures are here:
I feel like the color got a little off when I scanned them because the whole reason I bought the really close up ones was to see his eye color, but you get the gist.

Summertime and the Livin is Easy...

Collin had his first beach day on father's day. You and daddy have not had the easiest first few months together, but I know he loves you more than he could ever express and would do anything for you. We spent father's day at Auntie Mimi and Uncle Kevin's house. It was your first time to the beach. You mostly just stayed in the shade with Granny where you were perfectly content. We did try your toes in the sand, which you seemed unsure of. Your brother and sister on the other hand had sand from head to toe. The day before father's day was Hannah's dance recital. You were absolutely amazing and slept in mommy's front pouch for over three hours of dancing while I ran back and forth changing Hannah. When you finally woke up, Hannah fed you backstage while I got her costumes put away and all her little friends just stood around staring at you. They all love you so much. I'm pretty sure all the girls go home and ask their mom's for baby brothers. You and Jack are both wonderful supportive dance brothers. Hannah loves to put you in the bumbo and then she practices and says you're her audience. I know Hannah will repay you someday by cheering louder than anyone at some of your games/activities.

Mother Knows Best

There is truly a special gift that God has given to mothers. It's a unique understanding of your children. A month ago I wrote about the really odd report from the doctor that Collin's head was greater than the 99% and that it had to be monitored to make sure there wasn't brain swelling. If you recall I went home and even called back asking them to double check because it just didn't seem accurate to me, but the nurse confirmed that yes it was greater than 99%. So being the rule follower I am I went back this week for our follow up. The doctor walks in, takes one look at the chart and starts apologizing. The nurse had entered the date wrong in the computer system. She had put the current date as both his DOB and the date which made it seem like he was just born with a two month old head. He felt so bad and apologized over and over. He returned our copay too. No harm done. So his head is right as it should be about 60% and my little Jack remains the title holder of the largest head. Collin is doing so well. He is super sweet and easy. He still wakes up a lot at night to eat (sometimes every 1 1 /2 hours) so this week we started a tiny bit of rice cereal for dinner. He really likes it and figured out the swallowing thing quickly. I don't think it's made any difference with the sleeping, but I'm glad he enjoys it.