"Baby" Group

Shortly after Danny was born, a couple friends and I started a Baby Group. All of us were first time moms with brand new babies. Obviously the babies wouldn't appreciate ward playgroup, but the three of us needed to get out once in a while. We'd get together for lunch one day a week and let the babies lay on blankets and stare at each other (or the ceiling). For a couple hours we could enjoy adult company and discuss the uncertainty, joy, and frustration of motherhood while eating delicious new recipes. Our group grew as several other friends had their first babies. At its largest we were rotating between 7 different houses. We had so much fun cheering on each babies new successes and watching them grow. "Ethan is sitting up!" "Yay, Zack can roll over now!" "Danny's eating baby food!" For me, Baby Group was often the highlight of my week and it helped me adjust to the new role of motherhood. I never felt alone in the challenges or joys.


As nap schedules changed, some of us returned to work, and life (and the babies) got busier, our Baby Group slowly disappeared. Most of us actually go to playgroup now since the kids can enjoy it. Some of us were able to get together for a baby group reunion recently (we missed you Amy and Annie!). It was comical and thrilling to watch our "babies" play together. Eating was so much more complicated when we couldn't just nurse after we ate. Sticky fingers, messy clothes, throwing food (Danny), high squeaky voices saying "Pease" and "tank-oo". But then all the busy "babies" walked themselves upstairs to play with toys on their own. They could vroom cars around share blocks (sometimes) and throw bean bags. As the moms ate our lunch we were in awe . . . are these really our babies? We decided to take some pictures, and I just had to include them all because they were so comical. Especially when I compared them to the baby group shots about 14 months earlier. So thanks to Lori & Maddie, Cara & Allison, Kelli & Ethan, Tahlia & Lily, Amy & Zack, and Annie & Jake for so much support, friendship, and great memories! And congratulations to Lori on a beautiful baby #2 - Welcome Amelia!

Blueberry Farm

A few weeks ago our ward went to Moorheads Blueberry Farm for playgroup. We had a great turnout! Blueberries are only $1.50/lb. so it's worth the 25 minute drive. I was proud to wear my workout duds - I knew I'd get sweaty anyway and hey, it meant I worked out before we went. That was quite an accomplishment for me! Danny was excited when we first arrived - you carry a bucket and then pull stuff off the trees and stick it in your bucket. COOL! However, he wasn't great at differentiating between the green and blue berries. Go figure. Eventually I stole the bucket from him so I could get some serious picking done. It was SO HOT though. We went about 10 AM, but it was already in the 90s, plus the lovely Houston humidity. It was fun nonetheless. Our two great tragedies were first dumping our bucket on the way out. Lori (at 9 months pregnant) helped me pick them up so we still managed nearly a pound. Second tragedy - as I have previously suspected, Danny seems to be allergic or just sensitive to blueberries. I made muffins. He ate two for breakfast one day and ended up with a nightmare of a rash! No more fresh blueberries for him. Oddly, he didn't seem to have much trouble with the apples & blueberry baby food. Hmmmm . . . Is this possible?

Wow!

This picture is a RARE occurrence. Danny fell asleep on the way home from downtown. As it was not his usual naptime, I just carried him and set him down on the couch instead of taking him up to his crib. And amazingly the kid just stayed asleep! Now, for most parents I don't think this would be that amazing, but Danny is a guy who likes his own bed to sleep. Normally he wakes up quickly and often when he is sleeping elsewhere. I thought I better capture this amazing moment on camera. Yes, his picky schedule/crib oriented sleeping habits do make me nervous for our upcoming trip to Costa Rica. Any tips? How do you get your little one to sleep well while you're away from home?

Dinner Bell

Happy Birthday Matt

Last weekend we celebrated Matt's birthday. He was lucky enough to have his last final for school - nothing says happy birthday like a business law final. :) Danny and I drove down to the hotel to have breakfast with him. Perhaps it was cruel, but while he was in class on his birthday, we went swimming at the hotel pool. Danny was just glad to wish his papa a Happy Birthday. That night Matt and I went on a date to an Astros game against the Cardinals. They gave away 7 runs in the 2nd inning, but tried to make it up at the end of the game with a few exciting bases loaded hits. Sadly, they still lost. Highlights were running into our friends the Butlers, a foot long hot dog, super nachos, AND a cool free picture.

The next day we celebrated with a big lasagna dinner. Swansons, Billings, and Gwilliams joined us and Anne made a scrumptious birthday cake. Actually, she made two - an orange poppyseed one and chocolate. DELICIOUS! We played the party game, which is always quite hilarious - I don't know if I liked Mindy's Madonna clue or Matt G.'s version of Billy Barty better. We had a fun time.

So Matt feels like he's getting old, but I think his birthday gifts are telling of how old we all think he is . . . two favorite gifts were a Transformer video game and Heelies. Yes, those shoes with wheels. He definitely did not look his age when he was wheeling down the street to the pool earlier in the week. What a cool guy! Hopefully he doesn't fall and break his hip or anything. :) Lucky for me, since birthday, father's day, and graduation are all within 3 weeks of each other, I combined efforts and got a little extra money from some fam for Matt's gift. On July 11 he will be the proud new owner of an iphone (that's the day the new version comes out). Thanks to all who helped Matt feel so loved on his birthday! And thanks to Matt for being such an amazing husband, father, brother, son, and friend. We love you!

A few more pictures from Sarah's visit

I love this picture of Danny posing on the catwalk . . . well, our sidewalk. Aunt Debbie sent this shirt for Danny and it was so cute - you can't tell from the picture but the stripes are actually different modes of transportation (an orange strip of cars, a green strip of planes, a brown stripe of trucks, etc.) On our drive to Austin to meet Sarah's dad, we stopped at the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory - Sarah was kind to share her scoop with Danny. We also had fun at the children's museum one morning painting faces, testing cars, and exploring. The last picture is Leah and Sarah's movie night.

Orchid Iris

No, this is not some rare breed of flower. Matt got this beautiful orchid for me for Mother's Day and we decided that like all other living things in our home (plus our cars), it needed a name. Iris is the flower's name. There is a large flower shop that Matt often drives past on his way to a regular study group downtown. I was surprised when he returned from his study group with this beauty! Lucky me. It is about 2 feet tall and when Iris the Orchid first arrived home, she had 6 blooms. Now she has 10! We were worried we'd kill her, but we must be doing something right. A tribute to my nurturing abilities I guess - something else to care for. Over one month later, Iris the Orchid is still blooming so perfectly that most visitors think the flower is fake. It does look a lot like something you'd buy at Pier 1. I have had my doubts about its authenticity too - it's rare that I can keep a plant alive so beautifully (granted Matt remembers to water it more than I do). Thanks for a great Mother's Day gift that I can keep enjoying Matt!

IPod please

Turns out Danny likes music as much as his dad. Is 2 years old too young for an IPod? If he looks this cute with headphones, it may be hard to say no. J/K

"Hat"

In the last few weeks Danny has invented a fun game he calls "hat." The rules are quite simple. Take whatever you are holding, put it on your head, and with a big grin say, "hat." It is sure to get laughs . . . and quite frequently a post-game trip to the tub. Here are a few favorites: