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It's about high time I updated this blog:

Here's what's going on.

MacKay:

Tomorrow (which is now today) he'll be going under the knife and getting two small plastic tubes that will (hopefully) change his life for the better.  After 4 ear infections in 2 1/2 months... it's time.  There goes our deductible.  This last infection was a doozy.  Poor thing, but I am so grateful we are getting something done about it.

One a lighter note:  MacKay's starting to walk everywhere now.  He's really picked it up in the last few weeks and he loves it.  It's his new project and he's so cute about it.  He's got great balance and will stop and do a turn/pivot on his left foot.

He's really into waving at just about anything outside.  This includes cars.  He loves walks in the stroller and being out and about.  He's just started transferring to one long nap.  This works out quite nicely.. unless you've got 1 o'clock church, which we do.

He tries to mimic words and I'm hoping they mean something.  I try not to compare my "chatterbox" Whitney to MacKay at this age.  He's been a sweet boy through all of his sickness and you'd hardly know something was bothering him. (Unless you're sleeping in the room next-door because the little guy was waking up about every 45 minutes last week.)

Bubba loves his Mama and I love him.  His eyes light up when Daddy gets home from work and loves to wrestle, laugh and play games with Bart.  He is a cuddle bug, loves his teddy bear and has recently graduated to a larger rear-facing car seat.  (It's actually just Whitney's, but we'll get him his own when we can!)  He loves looking around and is currently addicted to graham crackers, veggie sticks, crackers of any sort and pureed pears, squash and sweet potatoes.

We love our Bubba.

Here's our house:  (This was last week when we had some good weather.  I cannot WAIT for spring and summer!)

Miss Whitney:

This little princess is a real cutie. She loves her primary class and is a sweet little Sunbeam.  This last week in Primary, she was the Spotlight and was super cute when she went to stand up in front of the primary.  Everyone sang her favorite song, "I Am A Child of God."  I'm pretty sure she wanted to talk in the microphone because she went UP to the microphone when she was called up.  

Here's a pic of our little cutie opening a present from Katy.  It's a box filled with all sorts of make up, brushes, nail polish and a make up bag.  This girl goes to town.  She's worn makeup to church the past two Sundays- and it looks like SHE'S the one that applied it.  I think it's pretty cute.

Whitney LOVES dancing.  Her teacher Ms. Shanda is darling and every Thursday Whitney puts on her leotard and skirt and shakes her thang.  Here she is on Sunday evening dancing on our kitchen table.

Whitney will be starting preschool twice a week in March.  She is sooo excited to graduate from "Mommy School" to preschool.  I am also happy to have her socially interacting with kids her age and learn from someone besides me.  Whitney loves crafts, painting, games, using scissors (she loves to call them clippers), baking, singing, dancing, laughing, jumping, running and making jokes.

She's a little nap resistant.  This next picture is one day after a walk.  If I want to get her to sleep the car or stroller is a guarantee.  Unfortunately, a three-hour nap will also keep her up until 10 pm.  So pick your poison... no nap and early bedtime or a nice nap and a late night.

She loves her Pillow Pet and is working hard to earn a Minnie Mouse pillow pet.  She has a Daily Job (thanks for that title, Juliana!) of cleaning the family room and keeping her room clean.

Whitney is funny.  She loves M&M's, chocolate chips, cookies, ice cream and any sort of sweet there is. She is an early riser and most recently has been interested in "time".  She is told she's not allowed to get out of bed until the first number on her digital clock says "7".  Don't worry... EXACTLY at 7:00 am she runs into my room and says, "Mom!  My clock has a 7 on it! Can I get a cookie now?!"

Ms. Whitney loves friends and is making more of them in our ward and neighborhood.  We're settling in here.

Bart is liking work and I am working on being positive during the hours of 4 pm-6:30 pm.  (Tell me I'm not the only one who struggles during those before dinner time hours?!)

Here's to warmer weather in the near future?!

Let's hope.

Tubes

Bubba got his tubes this morning.  Thanks to Natalie for watching Whitney while I took MacKay to American Fork Hospital at 7:45 this morning.

We waited for quite some time before the nurses took away my baby to put a tube in each ear drum.  Here is my cutie wearing that adorable robe.  Poor thing was STARVING!!!

At 9:00 am the surgery started and he was back in my arms by 9:25 am.  The doctor brought in some of his medicine/ear drops and a giant SCAB that was covering his left ear drum.  He failed his hearing test before the surgery.  Poor thing couldn't hear.  Let's hope the surgery helps!

After surgery he was a bit fussy and ate tons of food.  On the ride home he was all smiles and munching on his crackers.  He's now down for a nap.

We love you, MacKay!!

Cuties

Lovin these cuties in these cold winter days.  Bubba is a sweetie.  Two weeks ago he was diagnosed with a double ear infection.  This is a picture of him ON that very day while he had a fever.  He's a pretty good sport.  I can tell you right now, he doesn't get that from me.  I'm a bit more VERBAL when I don't feel good.  

I think SHE get's that from me.  Here she is pretending to be a unicorn.  She's telling him, "That's not a ball!  That's an orange!"

He's thinking...
"THAT's not a party hat, or a unicorn horn either!"

Built this tower by herself.  She loves knocking them down.  Learned that in nursery class.  

These pictures were taken a bit earlier in the month.  We went down to BYU to the Bean Science Museum and then over to the CONE to eat lunch.  I love family days.  Bubba loves the camera and cheeses it almost every time.

Whit down in the scary basement of the Bean Science Museum.  Lots of DEAD looking animals down there.  Sort of Halloweenish.  She already completed her scavenger hunt and we are trying to find the Cougar...

Woo Hoo!  Bubba is saying, "Go Cougs!"  

And then there's snow.  THIS girl is dying for some playmates.

 But until she finds them, we'll pal around together.

One year ago..

 Our days were filled with one tired Mommy, a bored big sister, a sleepy baby, and a Daddy who went to school.  I love that on iPhoto, you can click "Last 12 months" and it will show you what was going on in your life a year ago.  These were some of the pictures that showed up.

I loved seeing them because it brought back SO many memories of this challenging time. Newborns are hard.  There's not a lot of sleep going on.  You may have heard me say this before, but I believe having a new baby is a lot like camping.  Your house/tent is a wreck, there's not much food in the fridge, people are sleeping (or not sleeping) in random places.  Nobody's really showered and you can't even recall the last time you brushed your teeth.

I am happy to report that one year later, (although for some reason MacKay started crying about every HOUR last night), we are getting much more sleep.  We only have 1 person in our house wearing diapers.  We have a healthy dinner on a very regular basis.  We make it to church on time.  (Maybe it's because it's in walking distance now.)  I can even take my kids out to run errands everyday if I want to.  And it's not stressful.  We've come a long way from those gray wintery days of 2011.

THIS is a picture of Whit at our beloved UA Library.  Oh, I miss this library so badly!  It was THE BEST!  We had a full Blockbuster of movies that we could check out.  Story time here was awesome and they had a great selection of books.

This was my first outing after having MacKay with the two kids by myself.  I don't remember how long we stayed.... but I'm pretty sure I breastfed him here.  (NOT missing that part.)

I do love my babies....