3rd Birthday

This year for Chapter's birthday he knew exactly what he wanted and I think it's pretty safe to say we made all of his dreams come true.  Of course, they were pretty small dreams:)

 He wanted a snowman umbrella, a chomping dinosaur, an "orjange" nerf gun, a cake and balloons.  He also wanted to eat a "junior hamburger at daddy's office".  I threw in a dizzle for good measure;)

 He also had a friend party.  We had 3 girls and one boy over to play dinosaur games and have dinosaur dirt cups.

His little friends are so cute and he got some great gifts.  It's so fun that he is FINALLY getting excited about stuff.  I love it.

Swiss Days

 5th annual 3rd ward pancake breakfast at the Blake house.

 The parade wore her out:)

The kids made these cute necklaces at the pioneer games.  He was pretty obsessed for a few days.

We LOVE Swiss days!  It's seriously my favorite because it kicks off the start of the holiday season here at the Blake house.  Then we have Chap's birthday, Logan's Birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, my birthday and Christmas all in rapid succession.  Love it:)

6 Months and 3 Years

These kiddos, I tell ya.  They are just too much fun:)

Merit: She is amazing!  She's so much fun to have in the family.  She is a little spazzy and it scares me a little sometimes to think about her getting mobile in the next few months.  She has just barely started eating a little babyfood and she likes it most of the time.  She likes to blow raspberries, and she thinks her brother is HILARIOUS!  We went to the dr. today and she's almost 16 pounds!  I always dreamed of having a blue-eyed baby but her little brown eyes are just the cutest thing and I love them so much!  I was really worried about having a girl and doing the girly thing, but I love it and I think I'm figuring out this accessory thing.  I have been so blessed to have this little one join our family.

Chapter: He is getting so big and it is killing me.  He is the best brother to Merit.  He loves to hold her and sing to her and hand her toys.  He still isn't really big on listening (haha) but he's getting better all the time.  He's a brave little monkey too.  Today he had to get a shot and he didn't cry one bit.  He also had to have his blood drawn as a follow-up to the needle stick incident he had about a year ago and he didn't cry for that either.  Everyone in the lab was shocked at how good he did and they gave him stickers and suckers and a bouncy ball for being so brave.  He loves to play with his cousins and is completely obsessed with dinosaurs. He's been having nightmares lately, but nothing too hard to deal with I just mostly feel bad.  I don't know how I got such good kids but I'm sure thankful I did.

Breast vs. Bottle

Now that I've made it to the 6 month mark of breastfeeding Merit I feel somewhat qualified to compare the two primary ways of feeding your baby.

Now for a little background on each child. Chapter is the most stubborn child.  He absolutely would not eat in the hospital.  We tried everything.  The lactation consultant tortured us both for hours before finally giving up.  We had nurses literally crying and worrying he was going to have to go to the NICU.  In short, he is a little stinker who only does what he wants to and he was born that way. We finally got him to take a bottle at around 2 1/2 days old.  I was just happy my kid wasn't dead and unhappily pumped for 2 weeks and then happily gave him formula for the next 12 months.  Merit did pretty much the same thing, only we had better nurses and she finally figured out how to nurse at around 1 1/2 days.  We have been happily nursing since (minus the first month, ugh).

Formula Pros:

1. You know exactly how much your baby is eating.
2. Your husband can take a turn in the night.
3. You don't have to stress about leaving him with a babysitter.
4. No pain.

Formula Cons:

1. You have to buy formula.
2. You have to remember to buy formula.
3. You have to have a bottle, water and formula with you at all times.
4. You have to actually get up and make a bottle in the night. 

The Breastfeeding Pros and Cons are basically the opposites, but I'll cover them anyway.  

Breastfeeding Pro:

1. All you need is you. 
2. It's free.
3. In the night you can just grab your baby and feed her without turning on lights and tripping through the kitchen.

Breastfeeding Con:

1. It's a much larger commitment for you. It's all you.  No passing the baby off on someone else.
2. It's not all that fun for the first month or so.
3. It can be very isolating having to hide yourself away at your family's house, at church, in public, etc. 
4. You stress every time you leave your baby.  Also, not being able to leave for longer periods of time, like going to the temple.  That thought just stresses me to no end.  

Additional observations:

•  As far as the weight loss argument goes, I think it depends on you.  I actually have had a much harder time losing weight while breastfeeding, whereas it just happened all by itself and really quickly with Chapter.  
• You get judgy stares no matter how you feed your baby in public, only they are from different people. 
• I get really annoyed when I hear people talk about the "bonding" of breastfeeding. How if they quit they will lose the "bond". Holding, feeding and loving your baby is going to result in a "bond" no matter how they are getting their nutrition.  
• I feel like a lot of "mom shaming" goes on on both sides of this argument, but if I had to be honest I feel like the breast feeders shame the bottle feeders a lot, and I think it's unnecessary.  I don't think it's anyone's business how you feed your baby.  There's this mentality of if you don't breastfeed you don't love your child or care about them.  I've done both (I've done both as far as the pain meds during labor goes as well) and I can tell you that it doesn't impact how much you love your child.  I do not love Merit more because I had a (basically) unmedicated birth and I've breastfed her.  

Anyway, just my experience and something I've been thinking about a lot lately.

Labor Day in "The Swell"

We did a Blake family camp out over Labor Day weekend out near Goblin Valley in the San Rafael Swell.  We left around 3 on Friday and got there around 8 (factoring in Merit feed times).  Ron and Lucas and Shellie had their trailers and Anisa, Ryan, Logan and I were tenting it.  This was Merit's first real camping trip (we did a night in Pine Valley with the ward, but one night doesn't really count).  The first night we were there, Logan and Chapter slept in Lucas and Shellie's trailer and Merit and I slept in the truck.  We didn't want to set up the tent in the dark and we didn't have to.

The next day we got up and hiked Little Wild Horse Canyon.  I had heard about it and how awesome and kid friendly it is.  It's really great because it's a slot canyon with hardly and obstacles and it's dry and easy to get to.  Chapter was in HEAVEN!  He was running through the canyon with the big kids and walked almost the whole way (I'd guesstimate about 3-4 miles total).  We didn't go all the way through because we ran into water and we didn't want to get wet.  Merit did great too, just snoozing in her carrier.

 That afternoon we had a little more adventure than I had bargained for.  We had the trailers parked parallel so we could hang out in the middle, and the wind got kind of bad.  We were all kind of just hanging out between the trailers and trying to stay sheltered.  Lucas' trailer was jacked up really high in the back because he was parked on a hill.  We had chairs lined up all along the sides of the trailers, which was stupid and I'll tell you why in just a minute.  Logan was holding Merit in a chair right behind the door to Lucas' trailer.  Someone was going into the trailer and the wind caught the door and it slammed back smacking Merit in the back of the head and then smacking Logan full on in the face.  I didn't even know that Logan got hit for probably 30 minutes because I lost it.  I was screaming and holding Merit and I swear I have never been that scared in my whole life.  We grabbed Chapter, gave Merit a blessing, and jumped in the truck and headed to Green River. As soon as we got cell service we called 911 and they told us that an ambulance would meet us in Green River.  Longest ride of my life with my poor girl crying and wanting to go to sleep and me trying to comfort her while still keeping her awake. Once we got to Green River we called again to tell them where we were and it still took probably 30 minutes for the ambulance to come.  They checked her out, and said it was just a goose egg.  Seriously, blessings work because it hit Logan after it hit Merit and it still made his nose bleed and hurt his face.  I think sometimes stuff just has to happen to remind you of your faith.  Does that make sense?  Like in the middle of all the chaos when it first happened all I could think about was Logan giving her a blessing, and I swear even with all the screaming and hyperventilating I was doing I was praying the whole time for my baby.  It seems a little mellow dramatic now, since she was thankfully okay, but this was good for me.  It helped me remember how much Heavenly Father loves us and how much hope your faith can give you even when  you are falling apart.  Long story, but they were both fine and her goose egg is already gone.  Babies are resilient!

The next day we went looking for this awesome thing called Wild Horse Window.  It's a big alcove with a hole in the ceiling that you can repel through.  We didn't find it, but we did hike another cool canyon.  The rest of the day was spent playing on "wheelers" as Chap calls them.  My motto for the day was "Don't you dare make fun of my for my kid wearing helmet!" Then we went to Goblin Valley after dinner.  

The whole group

 All the Blake grandkids (minus Tanner) 

 Then the next morning Logan and Anisa went back to find Wild Horse Window.  Anisa went because I wasn't up for anything strenuous with my kids and I was afraid he'd die if he went alone:)  I wasn't there, but it looks amazing!  I guess it really wasn't that strenuous, but I had kind of had it with danger at that point. Haha.  He's a good husband, he took pictures of his rigging so that I could look at it and know he was safe.  He knows me too well, I love him:)

 This was on the way home.  We haven't done anything juvenile for a while so we thought this would be hilarious,  And it is.

Meet Snowball.  She is our truck.  I haven't named a vehicle since high school when I drove the Scarlet Lady, but she needed it.  We bought her in June and we really do love her (I have officially bonded with her by sleeping in her roomy cab).  She has some issues which we are slowly working through.  That's why we named her Snowball, because one problem kind of snowballs into another with this truck, haha.  It's been nice having a truck, although I'll be sad to part with one of our vehicles, probably my Corolla, since that will be the fastest way into a mini van (I am so tired of putting car seats in a Corrolla!).  

Crackin' Sherry

Chapter has been saying this all day today and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the heck he was saying.  Then at lunch I figured it out.  When Merit is fussy sometimes we say "Meri, Meri, quite contrary, how does your garden grow..."  And that's what he was saying. He said the whole thing at lunch, "Meri, Meri, crackin' sherry..."  I'm still "crackin'" up about it:)

Quick Quote by Chapter

"I like dinosaurs, they are cool for me. Are they cool for you?"

Friends

"Merit is my baby friend." -Chapter

I have been totally surprised at how Chapter and Merit are already friends.  I thought it wouldn't happen for years! I know my elation could be a little premature since I've heard that the relationship gets a little more volatile once the smaller one gets mobile, but it's cute.  I'm amazed at how much he loves her and how he wants to take care of her (that's not to say their relationship is perfect, today I caught him trying to "crack her foot".)  She loves him too.  She is fascinated by everything he does and he can make her laugh really hard, and none of the rest of us can do that yet.  I hope they will always love each other and look out for each other.   Having two kids has been hard, but it's little things like this that make it worth it. 

24th of July

I just realized I never got the pictures off the camera for the 24th.  We went to Monroe again this year, and it was fun as always:)

Same routine: Parade, park, family, fireworks.  The kids were great, and here are a couple pictures.

 The first picture with all of us in it. Merit was only 4 months old at this point haha.

 Supporting South Sevier FFA by riding on the train.  Gotta represent:)

Chilling at grandma's house...literally.  We are thin blooded folks from the south and we always freeze at her house, even in July!

Family Vacation

This year we took a family vacation to SLC since Logan used up his week long paid vacation rafting this year.  We jam packed as much adventure as possible into 3 days in northern Utah.

 Logan's bosses own a sweet hotel in downtown SLC that we were able to get a killer deal on.  We are so grateful for their generosity.

 Chapter was so excited to see that "Cranky" was just outside our hotel window.  He was even "cranking" on Saturday for us to see:)

 First we hit up Temple Square

 Chapter is obsessed with temples.  He thinks everything he sees looks like a temple.  He was pretty excited.

 Then we rode the Heber Valley Railroad.  We missed our train, but were able to catch it at Soldier Hollow, everything worked out except the only seats left were in the super ghetto 3rd car that was rusted out and hotter than blazes:) Still fun.  And before you call DCFS, the train was not moving when Chap had his head out the window haha.  We rode on a diesel engine that Chapter thought was Mavis the Diesel:)

On Sunday we went up to Logan to visit my good friend Moe.  She has bought her grandma's adorable house and seems so happy up there (even though she's way too far away for my tastes, haha).  It was so good to see her and her family.  Chap and Rory really hit it off, he keeps asking for her and if she'll come to his birthday party.  Sorry buddy, 6ish hours is a little far to travel for a party:)

On Monday we went to the zoo (for our 8th wedding anniversary lol).  I hadn't been there for probably close to 20 years and it is so much nicer now!  We saw the lion training, the elephant training, the bird show and the sea otters.  They even have animated dinosaurs that look really real that Chapter liked mostly (he was scared of some of them).  Busy busy days, but it was so fun to get away with the family and make some memories!

Laurel Onesies

When I had Merit, the adorable Laurel class made these awesome onesies for her, and guess what--she finally fits in them!

These are some adorable and creative girls/ladies!

Merit 4 Months

Merit is just a little sweetie.  She has been night and day different than Chapter was, and he was an awesome kid, but this one is just so delightful. She's really calm, sleeps well, and just generally isn't any trouble unless she gets over tired, then she has to be bounced until she goes to sleep.  We took her to the doctor yesterday for her check up and shots and she is following her 31% growth curve perfectly.  She smiles a lot and even started laughing a little bit about a week ago.  She's nursing like a champ and loves to grab toys.  She's recently discovered her feet and it's so cute!  We love out little Meri-Berry!

Swimming Lessons

We went to swimming lessons today, for Chapter's first swimming lesson I think it went well...

We decided to sign him up at the college since I haven't heard anything good about the SHAC lessons and my friend Alli used to teach them at Dixie and said they were great.  We signed Chap up for level 1 and I couldn't be more impressed with the teachers.  His class had 6 kids (he's the only boy) and 2 very nice college girls for the instructors.  He didn't like getting his head wet, but hey, it's the first day.

 He really liked all the water toys they had!

Every time they would dunk him he'd come up and shout "Momma!" It was pretty funny but I wonder if he'd do better if I wasn't there.

Fire Truck Parade

Last week I saw something on Facebook about a firetruck parade that would be that night.  Logan thought I was insane and I don't think he even really thought there would be a parade, but I talked him into going and it was so much fun! I didn't get a ton of pictures (it was probably only 15 minutes long) but Chapter loved it.  He didn't get very much candy since he was too busy plugging his ears!

June So Far

 We've spent a lot of time outside.  Especially since Logan built us a pergola in the back yard and fixed my mom's old swamp cooler and put it back there.  It's like our own little oasis in the desert.  Now if we could only keep Chapter from picking green tomatoes our outside experience would be perfect.

 This little cutie keeps getting bigger and cuter.  She smiles all the time now, I just haven't caught her doing it with the camera yet.

 And this one just cracks me up.  Chapter has been spoiled rotten with me always holding him and singing him to sleep (even for naps) until baby sister came along.  I think we've got our routine figured out but some days naps still happen in weird places and weird times.  Haha.