Just Pictures...

Naomi using her baby sling- I made her one like mine. It was so sweet, she put her baby in and then told her "I love you so much!"




Our little chunker! He's getting so chubby and it's adorable.



He looks like a little budda in these pictures:)

hair cut!

I got my hair cut today while my awesome friend Natalie watched BOTH my kids for me!

It's not sooo different than what I've had for the past few months but I love it. It's super short in the back:) It's going to be a hot summer and I'm going to be ready!

pickles, ready to go, and leaves...

Sometimes Naomi can drive me nuts. She's two and you can only reason with her to a point, then she decides to ignore you or make you bust up laughing.

The past few days here have involved lots of driving mommy nuts and making mommy laugh my head off!

The other day she brought me the jar of baby pickles while I was at the computer-(should have been helping her get the jar out/in the fridge, not checking my email...), we ate a few together and then she decided to put it away in the fridge.

Next I hear a huge crack of breaking glass and Naomi yelling "uh-oh!" I hurry into the kitchen to find Naomi standing above the broken pickle jar, but already eating a pickle from the wreckage! I had to laugh, I mean, she's covered in pickle juice and her first instinct is to freeze- she hadn't moved an inch- and grab a pickle and eat it as fast as she could! Luckily we walked away with no injuries to report. I did spend a good while mopping up pickle juice and glass shards.....

Yesterday while I was feeding James, Naomi got her shoes on, filled her purse with toys, loaded three dollies/babies into her stroller and announced that she was "ready to go!" I asked her what was in her purse and she said, "ummm, probably.... everything!" She's a girl!

Then today we were at the playground with some friends. I went to retrieve Naomi from playing behind some bushes. When I got to her she opened her mouth to show me some chewed up green stuff. I asked her WHAT was in her mouth???!! She then proceeded to spit it out, getting it on her shirt. Then she said, "grass, and leaves!" I had to turn away I was laughing so hard!

I just find myself thinking she would know that leaves taste gross and are not for eating but then she goes and tries it out. It was so funny.

But that's not the end. Tonight at dinner I asked her to tell Zach what she ate at the park today. She couldn't remember so I told him grass and leaves. Then Naomi said, "No eat grass, I ate one leaf!" And she was so proud!

She had to wear her "soft red dress" too. She wants to wear it EVERYDAY.

And just for good measure, so you all know he does cry:) He's such a sweetie.

Springtime in DC

This is at Arlington National Cemetery. The blossoms were beautiful and so was Naomi.

Naomi entertaining herself during the Changing of the Guards Ceremony:)

I LOVE spring! The weather has been gorgeous the past few days and we are totally loving it. I know it's going to get hotter, much, much hotter... but for now it's lovely.

I am getting all ready- at least mentally- for our busy summer ahead. I am flying out of here in two weeks for Natalie and Paul's wedding. I'm flying by myself with BOTH kids. I am totally crazy. Zach is coming the day before the wedding, he has to stick around here for his finals. Then we are all off to Charlotte, NC! We will be there until the end of June and then we fly to Utah to spend the rest of the summer. So I am leaving DC in two weeks and won't be back for 4 months!!! It's a little weird to me.

And for other things. Naomi is getting so big and smart. She notices things and says things that surprise me every day. And she's funny too! She likes to be silly and then will say to us and herself "silly Nomi!" It's pretty cute. She says the cutest things all the time. I wish I had a notebook with me all the time so I could remember them and write them down! Maybe I should do that.

James is getting chubby and I love it. He is a sweet baby and I just love the way he looks at me with those bright blue eyes. Since I'm his mom, I think he's so adorable:)

I'm looking quite sleep deprived in this picture but look how cute my little baby is! He's got the same nice skin as Naomi....obviously it's NOT from me:)

James in his cute Sunday clothes. That darling shirt is from his Aunt Brooke and Uncle Jesse.

I put him face down on the boppy for some "tummy time" and he just fell asleep. That's pretty much the story if he's ever on his tummy.

We are missing Linda and Heidi who went home Wednesday. I've had to be a mom all by myself the past few days. We've done OK :) It was wonderful to have them here.

Today (a good MONTH after Easter) our apartment complex held their annual Easter Egg Hunt. It had been postponed several times but it was a beautiful day! Naomi made friends with the Easter Bunny and held his hand for quite a while, she also made sure he got his share of candy too:)

Pictures- He's 4 WEEKS already!!!

random little bits of life

Last week we went to the visitors center at the temple and as we walked in Naomi immediately spotted the big Christus in the center of the room- similar to the one on temple square in SLC but smaller. Well she took off running to it yelling: "Jesus, Jesus, it's MY Jesus!!!!" She was so happy to see him. Just one of those little moments you want to remember.

And last night James went to sleep at 11 p.m. (after starting to eat at 10ish) and then slept until 3 a.m.!!!!! It was a good looooong stretch of sleep for me. I know it sounds horrible to anyone used to sleeping all night but it was lovely:)

National Cherry Blossom Festival!

We spent the day "downtown" yesterday at the kick-off celebration for the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
It was so much fun and I am soooo tired of walking!
We started off by going to the National Building Museum. My mom, Naomi, James and I took the metro there and Zach joined us an hour or so later- he had a basketball game. So here's the funny thing about this, It took me all day to figure out why that museum had such a weird name. I was thinking it was really, really vague- meaning it was the National Building, or National Museum- but of WHAT? And then it dawned on me- it was the National BUILDING Museum, as in ARCHITECTURE. I felt kinda stupid for a minute:)
At the National Building Museum they had a Free Family Day thing going on. There were tons of Japanese crafts, activities, demos and dancers. Naomi made a little cherry blossom tree, a mask (see the slide show:) and a few other fun things. After a healthy McDonald's lunch we hopped back on the metro down to the Mall to the Kite Festival. There were so many people everywhere, it was amazing. And the air was filled with kites. We didn't bring one and that's probably a good thing, Naomi is too little to really like flying a kite, or be able to anyway and she enjoyed watching everyone else. That and picking up rocks. She really, really loves to be outside.
Then we walked over toward the Jefferson Memorial to see all the gorgeous cherry trees in full blossom. It really was beautiful. Zach read online somewhere that there are over 3 thousand cherry trees around the tidal basin!
Naomi ended up finally falling asleep in her stroller, she fights naps on the go, she ended up with about a 30 minute nap- better than nothing! And James was in the sling all day, so he ended up with about an ALL day nap!
The weather was beautiful, but just a little cold, I could have gone for about 10 degrees warmer but it was a great day, and so fun to spend with Zach too! I'm looking forward to this summer when ALL Saturdays will be family days, no homework!

It was great to have my mom here for this, she really loved seeing the cherry blossoms again, she hasn't been here for the festival since she was a teenager, and of course she loves Japan since she spent some of her growing up years there. She's been so helpful and keeps cleaning my apartment! I love it:) She'll be here until Friday. Then we get to have Zach's mom come and visit! I'm a little bit spoiled, I know.

new stuff-

Aren't these two cute!




Naomi was playing some little game with James' feet





James- kind of a funny picture of him!


Naomi and Grandma Stevie at the Washington DC Temple


Magnolia blossoms


Naomi sharing her Easter eggs with James!


Hunting for Easter eggs.....


The crew: Isabelle, Abby, Aspen, Naomi and Cameron


"Flying" at the Air and Space Museum


Well, just playing catch up...


My mom is here visiting and helping and we've been doing a little sightseeing!


First of all though- we had a fun Easter dinner at Cassie & Adam's. The kids all did an Easter egg hunt out on the lawn, Naomi was stoked about her booty:) And we ended up taking Isabelle's bag of eggs home too, oops! Naomi LOVES her "Easter Dress" and would like to wear it everyday. We definitely have a girly girl on our hands.


While Zach was off studying hard we went to the National Air and Space Museum. Naomi was a trooper, it was kind of a long day but we say some cool stuff. She was soooo excited about the airplanes! James did what he does best: sleeping and eating and pooping:)


James is a good baby, really so sweet. He cries when he's hungry and tired. But he cries LOUD when he is hungry. It always surprises me, he can go from deep sleep to practically yelling for food in a matter of seconds!


He's getting a little chunky in the leg area:) And he hardly spits up at all! So far. The only reason I mention this is because Naomi was like a spit up fountain. yuck.


So I'm getting more used to being a mom of two, but it is a huge help to have my mom here too! And Naomi LOVES this baby. It's so funny to see her interact with him. She is so helpful and always wants to get his binky for him. Whenever he is fussing she immediately runs to his side to help. She's a great big sister:)

First Bath for James

So sweet- I have a pictures almost exactly like this for Naomi.

This was just a "sponge bath" but it was all he needed.

This is ok.....

still doing alright.

hating it!

ahh, getting dressed is much better!

Sweet outfit! He looks so cute in this!
-Thanks goes to Erica for his awesome look here.

pictures, pictures!

I think these pics of Naomi are DANG cute! She's a little camera shy but we try....

Also- if anyone knows of a good photographer in Logan will you let me know?? Actually I mean a good photographer who is reasonably priced! Good luck, huh.