Spring Time Is Here...Finally!

The weather is finally starting to warm up and we are loving it!! We've had lots of rainy and colder days mixed in as well, but we eat up the warm days with lots of walks and trips to the park.

We also recently picked up two new (well, new to us ☺) double strollers, one for Jeanni to keep at her house and one for our trunk. I feel good about getting 2 because we got one at Kid to Kid for $60 and the other on KSL for $75. Score!

Both of the strollers are the sit 'n' stand type so Nolan can either sit on the bench seat or stand on the back. He loves it because it's easier for him to get on and off to pick up rocks ☺

Adding to his rock collection

I'm always making them stop for pictures.

We often go walking in the Holladay City Cemetery near our apartment. There's also a mausoleum and Nolan refers to it as a 'castle' and likes to run around in it haha.

 Oh boy, that's a cute little man. Again, holding some rocks ☺

And this is where he hides his rocks when we get home. 

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Basketball!

Heading out for a short walk (short because it started raining on us!)

  

Stomping in puddles is what spring rain is all about!

Looking like a little hipster

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Checking out the new bleachers at the t-ball field. Maybe the boys will play on those fields soon?

 This was adorable. Nolan loved that he could get up to this gray slide by himself so he'd go up, slide down, then run over to us beaming and saying, "I did it!" He'd give our legs a hug then he was off to do it again. I just love his enthusiasm.

Racing daddy down the slide 

He also loved this big slide! It's a good thing Justin is an amazing and fun daddy that's willing to take him up a million times. It's not easy getting up there! He probably slid down this one 15 times!

He now likes this spinning toy (he didn't last year). 

Daddy and Nolan enjoying lounging and snuggling while the sun sets.

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Temple Square has been absolutely gorgeous the last couple of weeks.

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 This is his 'clubhouse' in the front yard of Jeanni's house. He loves to run in there when it's time to go and make me catch him!

He always has that blanket

Heading to the library with Jeanni

"Parenting Is Bittersweet When Your Child Is Teetering Between Baby And Boy"

I read this article on Scary Mommy a few weeks ago and it had me completely bawling. Nolan is already past many of these stages she describes, or at least on the downward slope, and it makes me so sad. But I guess at the same time, it's exciting to see the little boy he's becoming. Parenting is definitely bittersweet. Mostly sweet though, I would say ☺ Thank heavens I have Branson to smother all over again!

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We’re in it now, this space between baby and boy.

We’re teetering, delicately and precariously, a roller coaster in its graceful pause just before the plunge. It was a little rickety at first, climbing that steep, steep slope: sleepless nights, endless spit-up, needless crying. I felt each click-click-click of the ascent. But for now, we are floating here, balancing above the next phase of your life.

With your sister, I didn’t realize it was coming. I just woke up one morning, and she was a little girl. Somehow, in one dreamless night, her ringlets grew out, her face changed, her speech solidified. I didn’t know there was a space between until it was gone.

But with you, I recognize the signs. I feel fortunate that I can see it this time around, grateful for the opportunity to soak in every last minute of your babyhood.

In a little while, everyone will be able to decipher your sentences. You will learn to speak in a way that even strangers can comprehend. You are already saying so much, but it is a language just for Mama, things only I know, words only I can understand. I am your translator. I get to tell the world what you mean.

I love how you need me for that.

Soon, you’ll have opinions about your food, your friends, your clothes. You might have favorite shirts, or prefer shorts to pants, or reject every outfit I choose just because you can. But this morning, I snapped closed your onesie, and you giggled at the sound. I zipped up your fleece. I had to put on your socks.

I love how you need me for that.

Any minute now, your precious drunken stagger will, almost mid-stride, turn into a run. You will learn to jump — really jump, like you pretend to when you bend your round little knees over and over, your face beaming with pride. One day your feet will leave the floor, and those baby knee-bends will be gone. You will throw farther. You will climb higher. But right now, I carry you when you stumble. I lift you onto the swings. I walk beside you on the stairs.

I love how you need me for that.

You are still utterly unselfconscious, still blissful in your you-ness. You still share, immediately and generously, everything: toys, snacks, kisses. You are unburdened by the weight of your surroundings, and in this brief period of life when you have known no unkindness, you are still pure and earnest and good. No one has teased you on the playground. No one has ever hurt your feelings. You are still so innocent and unbruised.

But tomorrow, your hair might smell of boy instead of baby, that sweet scent replaced by something unfamiliar. You might wake up and hand me your security blanket and never ask for it again. And all the folds on those impossibly scrumptious baby thighs will melt away into our past.

How can I preserve those cheeks before a tiny jawline peeks through? How can I bottle that belly laugh? How can I keep those chubby little feet?

In this in-between, you are a heartbreaking blend of attempted independence and desperate reliance. You still hold my hand, happily and willingly, and you are not the only one who is scared to let go.

Today we went to a parent/toddler class. We took a spot in the back because you seemed wary of so much singing and dancing and clapping. At first, you just stared at all the babies, realizing, perhaps for the first time, that there was a world outside of Mama. You slid off my lap and stepped cautiously toward the music. But halfway to the front, you sensed an absence, and you turned, searching for my face, just to make sure I was still there.

I was. I am. I will be.

So while we rest here in this space between, let me test your restraints one last time before we careen downhill. Let me just make sure you’re safe. I love how you need me for that.

And you can let me know if I am holding on too hard, baby. I’m not ready — so you will have to tell me when it’s time.

For that, I need you.

Source: http://www.scarymommy.com/parenting-is-bittersweet-between-baby-boy/?utm_source=FB

A New Look For Nolan

About a week and a half ago I noticed Nolan’s eyes crossing a couple of times. In fact, one time at dinner he did it and I kind of tapped his head (like you used to tap the TV if the picture wasn’t clear) to try to ‘snap him out of it.' It was really kind of silly thing to do, but I guess it was my instinct haha. The crossing only lasted for a few seconds so I didn’t think too much of it. But then the next day Jeanni texted me and asked if I had noticed his eyes going cross, which reminded me that I wanted to look it up and see if I should be worried at all. After googling (which I do realize is sometimes the worst idea ever) it became pretty clear that I needed to at least give the pediatrician a call. So I called Dr. Witt’s office and the nurse agreed that we should get him in sooner rather than later. Unfortunately Dr. Witt was out of town so we saw another doctor at the office who gave us the impression that it wasn’t a big deal and would probably correct itself, but still referred us to an ophthalmologist. Justin was able to get us an appointment for the morning after we got back into town from Las Vegas. I don’t think I noticed his eyes crossing once while we were out of town, but I also wasn’t looking at him as closely I guess. However I did notice it happening in the car on the drive home several times as well as lots of times the morning we took him to the doctor so I definitely knew it was something.

Nolan was SO good at the ophthalmologists office! Of course he didn't like getting the drops in his eyes to make them dilate, but during the actual examination he was perfect. Even the doctor seemed impressed. I was so proud of him!

Playing at the doctors office

It turns out that Nolan has something called accomodative esotropia which is caused by extreme far-sightedness. Basically everyone has a focusing mechanism in their eyes which allows them to focus on objects, but because of his extreme far-sightedness, for Nolan to be able to see clearly he has to use extra focusing power (or accommodation), which causes his eyes to cross. Really most of the time it was just one eye that kind of came in to the center a bit. Anyway, the doctor recommended we get glasses for him as soon as possible, not so much to help him see or correct any vision problem, but to make it so that he doesn't have to work so hard to focus and to keep his eyes straight. It's possible it may correct itself after several years of glasses, or it might not correct and he'll always need to wear the glasses, but one thing we're so glad of is that we caught it early!

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I was really upset when I learned that my little 2 year old would need glasses and I know Justin struggled a bit as well. What possibly made it more difficult is that neither of us wear glasses. Well, I have a pair that I use for work when I'm staring at a computer all day, or for reading, but several different eye doctors have told me that I don't really need them, and definitely don't need to wear them all the time. Justin actually has amblyopia, meaning he basically doesn't see out of one of his eyes, yet the strange thing is that he can see better (farther) out of that one eye than I can with two 'good' eyes that don't require glasses. Weird. Anyway, I talked to a couple of ladies in my ward and another friend who all had small children in glasses and realized that I'm definitely not the only person to be upset by the news, that I'm not just a terrible person for having a hard time with it at first. But they also reminded me that it works out just fine, and little ones are always so cute in glasses! 

Trying on glasses

Well, we picked up the glasses on Monday and now that I see them on him I agree -- he is absolutely ADORABLE in them! And I hope he is noticing a difference in his vision which will make things easier for him. He's had them for a week and, just like always, he has surprised us by how well he's done with the transition. Some days he'll try to take them off maybe once or twice a day, but that's really it. And he usually asks us before he tries to take them off anyway haha. He chose mommy's nightstand as his "special spot" where he puts the glasses each night before going to bed. It's cute how he gets excited to put them there and usually asks us to put them on again in the morning.

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First night with glasses!

Branson is 3 months!

Branson is officially 3 months old!! He has really chunked up and we love it! He smiles all the time and has the most kissable cheeks in the history of ever! We've gotten him to giggle a teeny bit, but we are still waiting for that really big belly laugh!

He's such a sweet, calm baby and really doesn't cry unless he's hungry or messy, and sometimes if he hasn't been given enough attention for awhile ☺ I can set him down in his crib totally awake and he'll just lay there cooing until he falls asleep. Ah-mazing, I know. Really, I don't know how in the world we got 2 really really good babies, but I'll take them! ♥

He still has most of the hair he was born with, and we can't tell yet what color his eyes are. He seems to be a bit bigger than Nolan was at this same age because, thanks to Amazon Prime photos, I get pictures every day showing what happened on this same day 1 year ago, 2 years ago, etc. and I've seen some outfits that Nolan was wearing that Branson has already grown out of! One example is his BYU "that's how I roll" onesie. I had to hurry and get that one on Branson a few weeks ago before he grew out of it, yet I saw a picture of Nolan wearing it in May of 2015! He was already 13 lbs at his 2 month appointment so I'm sure he's a couple of pounds heavier by now and he's already wearing 6 month clothes! 

We love our little Bran-man!

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Ohhh that face is perfection!

Nolan is warming up to Branson a lot more lately. He always remembers him in his prayers, asks where he is if he's not with us, and always counts him when he talks about who is part of our family. The other day Nolan was sitting on Justin's lap reading stories on the rocking chair and I was sitting on his bed with Branson lying next to me. As soon as the first book was over Nolan slid down and ran over to Branson excitedly saying, "I go see Bran Bran!!" I about died it was so cute.

But he still doesn't like it when I put Branson in his bed ☺

So snuggly and clean straight outta the bath!

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A lot of people tell me that Branson looks like Nolan so I thought it would be fun to compare them at about the same age.

Branson

Nolan

Nolan                                                                          Branson

What do you think? Do they look alike? (besides the obvious difference in hair color ☺)

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We love you Branson you sweet, smiley, handsome boy!!