Sleep training...bleh.

For the past few weeks we've been trying to push Audrey's bedtime closer to Nolan's at 7:30pm. Our little girl had up to this point has been quite the little night-time party animal. She would always take a nap at 7pm and then wake up from it bright eyed and bushy tailed, and ready to hang out with Kenny and I until around 10pm or so. It really wasn't too bad, it was time that we got to spend with just her, and she is always so happy and easy to be around we'd just let her play while we went about our night-time business. The problem actually became that our little party animal then would sleep in until at least 10am and I'd have to wake her up to go anywhere and that usually meant that we'd have to rush to get her dressed, and fed and we were always late for everything it seemed. So little by little we've been working on it. I hate to admit it but I am the worst at sleep training. I have THE HARDEST time listening to them cry when trying to go to sleep and I usually just cave in. After 3 years worth of struggles that we have had with Nolan, who has always struggled to go to sleep, HATED his crib and only spent maybe 2 weeks worth of sleep in it, and even now stealthy makes his way in to our bed at least every other night...only to be taken right back to his race car bed, we have decided that we will not be taking the same path with Audrey.

It's not been tons of fun, but we've been surprised at how well she is actually adjusting. It may still take several visits at night to convince her that it's time for bed, but eventually we hear her cries turn in to long moaning songs...and then it gets quiet. Hallelujah. Thankfully, SOMEHOW Nolan is able to sleep through her crying and only wakes up occasionally to come tell us that Audrey is "making him so scared". This is how I found them tonight when I went in to check...aren't they just beautiful? I think so.

Get carried away much??

With SUMMER approaching, I have realized that both of my kids are in major need of summer clothes. Nolan can't wear too much of what he had from last year, and of course Miss Audrey has nothing for this summer either. So thanks to THIS COUPON from Babies R Us, and then Crazy 8's "Crazy cash redemption" this last week, I may have...I most definitely have... gone a little overboard. But I did get some seriously great deals on EVERYTHING that I have purchased!! It's a good thing Audrey's birthday is coming up, so I can justify the quantity of clothes...I'll just say some are from the Grandma's! :) Nolan cleaned up pretty well too, just not to the extent that I felt the need to photograph the collection. Ah well. It's good to have kids that are better dressed than you right?

P.S. For anyone who may be interested in kids clothes up to size 4T, that Babies R Us coupon is good until the 22nd....just so you know!! Maybe you can go overboard too! It was quite fun.

Easter Weekend

We had one of the nicest Easter weekends that I think we've had yet here in Wisconsin. The weather was so great, we spent basically the whole weekend outside. We loved that it was also Conference weekend too, what a great excuse to sit around and play with the kids while we try to hear as much conference as we can on TV.

We had been playing outside so much that we kept putting off the egg decorating until Saturday evening...when I had realized that I had forgotten to buy more eggs at the grocery store earlier in the day. GEESH! So we had a total of 5 eggs to color, since two got cracked while cooking and Nolan started peeling those to eat right away. But at least that left one egg for each of us, and a bonus egg for Nolan to color.

Later that night the Easter Bunny made a visit, and he also delivered some goods that were sent out by Grandma Whittaker and Grandma Merrell. Needless to say our kids had a pretty decent Easter haul this year! Yikes.

Nolan was super excited to start finding the eggs that were hidden in the living room and dining room, poor kid was bouncing off the walls going from his new toys, to a newly discovered egg and back to his new toys. Good thing he had all of that sugar to keep him fueled up!

Audrey was a pretty big fan of the egg hunting as well. Especially since her eggs contained Gerber Yogurt Melts, her favorite thing in the world. She does the funniest hyperventilating laugh whenever you show her the bag.

Easter also happened to be the day that Audrey decided that she no longer needed to hold one of our hands in order to walk across the room. First thing she did after finding her second egg was toddle over to show it to me! She amazed and startled us all day by just taking off on her own all around the house. In about a month's time she's gone from just standing pretty well alone, to walking everywhere all by herself. She's really stable too, she just mostly has to contend with her brother whizzing by or running circles around her, or even better trying to help "Audgey" walk...which never ends well.

Easter weekend brought us so many fun memories, and we were so thankful to have the time to spend together-homework and hospital call free. This year is really cruising by, and our kids are growing up so fast I can't believe that we're going to be celebrating Audrey's first birthday on the 30th. We have so much to be thankful for, and we have so much that the Lord has blessed us with. On a side note, we have a Catholic church about a block away from our house that has wonderful church bells that ring every day on the hour and especially on Sundays and holidays to announce mass. This year I did a little reading about Easter and what different cultures practice and celebrate during Maudy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. It really made a big impression on me. I know that I paid a lot more attention to the sacred events on each of those days, and I was so glad for the opportunity to reflect on our beliefs and to also have the ability to listen to our Prophet and Apostles teach us about the things that the Lord needs us to know in these latter days. I am so thankful for all that I have and for all of the wonderful people that are in our lives. I think Easter has definitely moved up on my favorite holidays list for good.

"Let's take Daddy to the Park"

Nolan has been wanting to take his Daddy to the park to play soccer for a while, so after the egg hunt, we grabbed a quick lunch and a nap (well Audrey did) and headed to Hawthorn Glen. The temperature gauge in the van said it was 84 degrees...we heart 84 degrees. The boys kicked the ball around for a bit, and then it was time for the tire swing. Which we probably rode on for a good 30 minutes between the two of us. The kids LOVED it and it was so nice to go play as a family. That park feels so familiar to us now, we spent MANY days there last year especially after Audrey was born and I just had to get Nolan out of the house to run off some energy. I pretty much consider that our backyard...it's just a quick 4 minute drive away.

Check out Audrey's tounge-it is usually curled up like that when she's having fun or squealing. I hope I remember that forever.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood....

We had some seriously gorgeous weather last week and spent more time outside in those few days than we probably had in the last 2 months!! We took the plastic off of the windows & balcony door (this is an annual ritual that lets our house and our spirits know that the worst of winter must be over) and I could swear that I could hear our house suck a deep breath of fresh air in for the first time since November! :) We let the kids out on the balcony and they rediscovered the sandbox, and Audrey got to play with sand for the first time. To my surprise she has yet to stick it in her mouth...yet.

We also enjoyed an Egg hunt with our play group, I look at this picture and am so happy that I have literally watched these sweet kids grow up. I can't believe that we'll be losing a few of them next month so that the daddies can start their residency programs. Sigh.

Thanks John, for holding Audrey while I snapped pictures. She was quite content munching on this car and watching from your vantage point.

Here is Amy, Nolan, Isabel and Grace.

Nolan is always 'girl trapped' by these adorable little princesses-but he doesn't mind.

The three of us...LOOK WE'RE ALL WEARING SANDALS! HOORAY!

This was actually right before Nolan had a "nature freak out" as I like to call it. He was overwhelmed with the grass touching his toes, the breeze trying to blow him away, or the bugs trying to get him. I swear that we've been outside more than just this day, but for whatever reason it was all just too much for him.

He finally convinced me to let him go back inside, where he shared his spoils with his sister.

She was thrilled.