"School Pictures"

Forehead wrinkles and cleft chin

Alexander seems to look the most like Jackson of any of our children. One reason is his forehead wrinkles...when he lifts his eyebrows there are the cutest wrinkles...exactly like Jackson's. He also has a cleft chin like Jackson...none of the other kids inherited this adorable feature.

Grandma Groesbeck

The First Week

Thomas and Alexander

Thomas is a wonderful big brother. He loves to hold and play with Alexander. It is really funny, though, if Alexander passes gas or poops while Thomas is holding him...Thomas freaks out and passes him to me as fast as he can :) I keep trying to convince him that little baby poops smell sweet, but has yet to be convinced.

Great Grandmas

Great Grandma Birkedahl

Great Grandma Berry

Spots in the Sky

It is getting dark earlier now. We were on our way home from a friend's house this evening at 7:30 or so and it was surprisingly dark. Estella, very excitedly, said, "Spots...I see spots!" I was confused. I didn't know what spots she was talking about. I asked, "Where? What spots?" She replied, "Spots in the sky." I realized she was talking about the stars.

Everything is better when Grandma is here

I don't think I would survive the first week of a newborn without my mom. It is interesting how the kind of help I need has changed with each baby...I needed more help with the infant with the first two, and this time I needed the most help with the older kids. She played with and spoiled them the entire week. They miss her. I miss her. Thanks Mom!

Nicholas and Alexander

Nicholas loves Alexander. These pictures are from the first week of Alexander being home...I don't have any pictures from weeks 2-4 because my mom went home and I went into survival mode! I am amazed at how comfortable Nicholas is with baby A. Nicholas will hold him and stay relaxed even when Alexander starts to cry. When he cries I ask if Nicholas wants me to take him. Usually, he will say, "No...I will help him," and then he will hold him close and shush in his ear or give him "nosies" or talk sweetly. Nicholas can usually calm him down.

About a week after Alexander was born, Nicholas came to me and said, "Mommy...I don't want to be an artist when I grow up anymore....I want to be a daddy." When I told him that he could be both a daddy and an artist at the same time he excitedly replied, "Really? Hooray!"

The Heimlich Maneuver

I successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver for the first time in my parenting career. Nicholas, Essie, Alexander and I were at the bishop's storehouse stocking up on oats, wheat, sugar, and flour this past Thursday morning. There are always plenty of volunteers there and they all love to see and spoil children. A kind man gave Nicholas and Essie some hard candy...the round kind the size of butterscotch disks. I was busy filling out the order form and just happened to glance over at Nicholas...he was completely red in the face with tears running down his cheeks. I realized he was choking, and from his looks it seemed like he had been choking for a while. I rushed to him and had awful visions running through my head. As I reached him, I whacked him as hard as I could right under his diaphram and the candy flew out of his mouth and hit the desk in front of him. So, I guess I didn't do the full Heimlich with both hands...that would have been my next move if the blow to the stomach didn't work.

Nicholas was very upset...cried and cried and cried. My hands were shaking for a good ten minutes afterward. I am so glad he is okay.

Guitar

This was Nicholas' creation from start to finish.