Tummy Time

So now that the doctors tell parents not to put their babies on their stomachs to sleep they tell us to give them tummy time. This is a time set apart during the day for Beau to be on his stomach. The more time the better is what they tell me but Beau doesn't seem to listen. After 15 minutes of tummy time Beau very adamantly lets me know that he is done with this activity and that it is not one of his favorite situations. But since I am a tricky sneaky mom I have learned that putting a variety of toys in front of him instead of just one that he is content for about 5 to 10 more minutes!I also put Bubba on his tummy while he is laying on my legs and he really like to do that. I figure that finding solutions to these kinds of problems will help me to get him to eat his veggies and other things like that in the future. Beau is getting better about tummy time. It is fun watching him reach for toys. He is still learning how to grasp things but he is getting some things to his mouth already.

Richard

I just want to write a snippet about my most favorite person in the world... My husband Richard. ;) He is playing lacrosse again this year for BYU and it is such a great experience for him to be playing with one of the best college lacrosse teams in the nation. I just want to say that my husband is the best and I am not making a biased judgement at all. lol But really he is doing such a good job providing for our young family and he is so dedicated to school that he is even getting up early in the mornings to do homework, and if you know Rich that fact alone shows true dedication. Rich is not a morning person. My baby takes after his daddy like a carbon copy and it is so odd to me too have two blonde haired, blue eyed males out number me in my home. It is so amusing and comforting to watch Richard interact with Beau. Beau always gets a HUGE smile on his face when he sees his daddy. They do manly activities together like watching football and wrestling (so far Rich has won every time but Beau is getting there lol) My favorite is when Rich gives Beau a bath. It is an interesting experience for them both and although Rich gives him pretty good bathes I always check in the fat roll on Beau just in case. I am so glad that Rich is my husband...good thing to because we are going to be together forever! Well see ya!

The Codex of Alera by Jim Butcher

This is a series of books that my sister-in-law Ashley recommended to me. The first book, The Furies of Calderon was a little bit slow for me because I figured out a lot of things before the author told me about them in the next books. But it was still very interesting and I loved the new type of magic that was involved and there were still quite a few surprises that kept me on my toes. The second and third book were very good but I loved the fourth one. I am anxiously waiting to get my hands on the next book. This is a series that I will defiantly add to my library when I get a chance. Tavi is the main character and I have loved following him in his life. But by far my favorite character is Isana. Butcher did a fantastic job at making Isana a real person with amazing strengths and real worries and failures. I related to her and always looked forward to reading about her and her thoughts.

Beau

Beau is getting so big!! we went to the doctor for his 4 month well check and he was 18 lbs 2 oz and in the 95th percentile in height and weight. I have met a lot of 1 1/2 year olds who weigh less than Beau. Grandpa Palmer keeps teasing me that I need to teach Bubba how to walk because he is getting to big for me. Lol. Oh, well that just means I am going to be a strong mommy! He can't roll over yet but the doctor said that was on the normal side. What isn't normal is that if reclined on a pillow Beau can sit himself up. Beau hates to be lying down when there are so many things that he can be looking and learning about. ;) Beau has also started to "talk" almost constantly. He babbles and coos to anyone who will talk and laugh with him. He is such a joy to me. He makes my heart sing so many new songs that I didn't know I knew! Well Here is a video of our angel!

The top photo is Beau during one of his flying lessons with daddy. Beau loves them and Rich loves giving them so it is a win/win situation.
I noticed the other day why Beau needs to be in clothes that are 6-9 months instead of the 3-6 months like they say on the tags. His legs are so huge that when I try to snap up his onsie's they are too tight on his chubby legs! lol It is the cutest thing ever! Well, I have to go an do some things for Rich. Bye!

1st Book Review on this Blog: My sister's Keeper BY Jodi Picoult

This book was very emotionally charged and went through some great ethical questions. I am not usually drawn to these kinds of books but my mom-in-law was reading it and left it with me to read because I expressed interest in the book. As it turns out it was amazing. It has a slight amount of swearing but barely noticeable. The overall story it me like a bomb causing raging emotions in my heart and sent my mind reeling with all of the debatable subjects that were introduced to me. My Sister's Keeper is about a 13 year old girl that was literally conceived to be a perfect genetic match for her sister, who has a form of leukemia. Throughout Anna's life she is hospitalized and used as a donor when her sister Kate slips out of remission. This heartfelt book made me so grateful for the health of my son. I think that this book was wonderfully written and even if you don't like books on ethics My Sister's Keeper is a must read.

Ants/Aunts?

So when Rich and I came home from a family get together last night I noticed that our kitcken was filled with ants! I freaked a little...Rich made fun of me and so I stopped freaking out. I remember when I was little and I loved to watch ants do there thing. The are facinating but I do not like them in my home. so I told the managers and they are going to pray our apartment. Its wierd though because they seem to be coming and going in shifts. For a while there will be quite a few of them and then the next thing I know they are all gone agian. The first time this happened I thought that they just left and I wouldn't have to kill them. But then they came back again. So I now have to take drastic measures. Sorry to all animal/insect activist but ants do not belong in houses.

So now to talk about the aunts. My grandma on my father's side is having heart surgery on Wednesday. the operation should go well with few, if any, complications. But my family consists of many worry warts. Because this is the case many of my grandmothers children came to support and worry over here. An uncle came form Arizona, an aunt form the Dominican Republic, and other aunts that live in the vicinity. When you get my Dominican Aunts together it is like an explosion of sound, love, and energy. I found out who is the most important memeber in my family to my aunts: My 4 month old son!! It was quite amusing to see my aunts goo, tickle, and exclaim over my bewildered baby. It was so wonderful to see them all. The only thing that would have rendored this night more perfect would have been to have my two sister Melody and Analaine there with us. but the are having fun in college. But just so you know Melody and Analaine...we missed you.

Pic: sister Sariah and son Beau

The first day of practice.

So I coach volleyball at a high school and it is one of the best and most interesting thing that I do with my time. I love the age group that I teach. They are not quite as bratty as 16 year olds can get and not so stressed about getting scholarships that the seniors are worried about. The only down side is that these girls are so hyped up on hormones that they are sometimes hard to handle. Yet that is what makes coaching them so interesting and action packed.

Last year was the first time that I coached at a high school level. I wasn't as confidant as I should have been. I have coached on the club level for a few more years than the high school level and I don't think that I was ever as nervous as I was coaching in high school. I am much more confidant in my coaching style and my girls have so much potential and talent that I feel like this year is going to be a blast.