Yesterday Was a BIG Day for Ethan...

Ethan went all day yesterday without peeing in his pull up. Yep you heard me, the cars were still on them when we got home and when we got ready for bed. Because they were still there when my Dad got home from work Ethan got to go with him to get the car washed, and then he got to ride in his Jeep and get a Slurpee. We were all so excited for him. This whole potty training thing has been the hardest thing for Chris and I and especially my Mother, She has to deal with it all week long! Ethan just doesn't care if he pees in the potty or not. We even put underwear on him and he peed in them and didn't even care! So to have him go all day long in one pull up is HUGE for us! I really hope this is the start of something great, but if not, oh well it was still a GREAT day! I love that little monster, wet/dirty diaper and all!

So Last Night....

I had to be down to the church at 7, so Chris asked me if I could take care of Katelee before I left that would really help him out. So I got her dressed for bed, Gave her some milk (she will only eat 2oz at night, don't know why, but she won't ever eat more than that) and then put her in her seat and got her carrots. I set them down on the floor and leaned over to grab a bib... and when I turned around I saw the picture below:That's right, my daughter thought I was not fast enough, so she leaned down and grabbed the carrots and dumped them all over the floor. So I move the container out of her reach and go to grab something to clean this up with as she is crying and screaming because I haven't started feeding her yet... So I come out of the kitchen and I see this.... She had bent back down and was picking up the extras off of the ground. I swear this girl hates drinking her bottles but don't you dare mess with her food. She gets mad now when she hears you scrapping the container because it is empty and when you stick the spoon in her mouth and it has nothing on it she gives a nasty look and whines then too! Needless to say she went down a little messing for bed that night because I was running late from having to do some clean up! But we sure love this little lady... (See her feet in the second photo how they are crossed at the ankles? She even sleeps like that. She loves to cross her legs, and I love it because hopefully that means she will sit like a lady!:)

Now on to Ethan, Chris gave him a bath and dressed him for bed. Then they came downstairs so Ethan could do his breathing treatment. Chris was in the kitchen getting his "Strawberry" ready (putting his medicine inside of it) and when he came out of the kitchen this is what he saw....

Ethan was playing the guitar and even stomping his foot every time he stroked the guitar! This kid is so cute sometimes I can't stand it! He takes his breathing treatments like a pro now and doesn't let it get in the way of him playing. Usually he has to play with his cars while he does his treatment, but I guess last night was an exception!

Telling stories about my kids like this really makes me wonder... "what was life like with out them? What stories did I ever have to tell at work? What did we laugh at? Why was my house ever a mess before they came around?"

We love you Ethan and Katelee, more than you will ever know!

You know your son has......

Had his blood drawn too many times when: Ethan had to have his blood drawn today for an allergy test. They have him sit on my lap and look for a good vein. I told them which are is the best and she found a really good vein instantly! She tells Ethan that it's going to pinch a little. The boy just sat there. She poked him and had to pull the needle out a little to re-angle it and he just sat there. He didn't flinch he didn't cry he just sat there! She filled her two containers and took the needle out and wrapped his arm up. Ethan points to the bandage and says "Boo Boo." And smiles. We walk out into the lobby and the two people in there were amazed at how well he handled it. Ethan just walked out like "duh, do people actually cry for this stuff?" We went to 7-11 to get him a Slurpee for being such a big boy.

So this all got me thinking, (as always... I'm always thinking. I can't even take a bubble bath without thinking) I digress. So I was thinking that this little moment is such a bitter sweet moment. It makes me happy that he didn't cry and was a big boy, but it also makes me a little sad that he has had his blood drawn so many times that he doesn't even care any more! He is only 2 1/2 years old and he has probably had his blood drawn more than I have in my entire life! (And I've had two babies) Chris and I were just looking through some old photos the other night and we got to the ones of Ethan in the hospital when he was 8 months old. Chris said that this happened to Ethan because he was the kid that could handle it. And it makes sense. Ethan is a crazy kid, he bounces off the walls whenever he isn't sleeping, but he is also a very strong kid. I'm always amazed at how much that little guy can handle. We love him so much!

Easter Sunday

For Easter we went to church with Aunt Anna and Uncle Enrique because Anna played the piano. So we had to get up early and didn't have time to take pictures before church. This is the kids after church. They were both a little cranky and Katelee needed a nap... So this is as good as it gets... Ethan really does love his sister, most of the time!
The best Family picture we could get!

Ethan and one of his fake smiles!

My little Princess!

I can't believe we got this to come out. I wish we actually had baseboards so this picture would look better! Isn't he a little cheeser?

Easter Egg Roll-2009

Growing up we always got together with some of our cousins and Grandparents and went to a big hill and rolled eggs. I think the most fun is actually rolling down the hill yourself to go get the eggs. The first few rolls are always good, and then it turns into the Easter Egg THROW. This year was no exception. I was unable to attend, I was was working in the Nursery at the temple(didn't realize it was Easter Saturday when I signed up) but Chris took good pictures. Grandma and Grandpa Blackburn, Grandma Nelson, Grandma Alberta, Uncle Matt, Aunt Anna, Uncle Enrique, Aunt RaNae, Aunt Lisa, Tayler and Sophie or Lanni were all there, including Katelee and Ethan. This was Ethan's third Easter and I think he enjoyed it the most this year! Everyone at the top of the hill, Even my sitting Queen Katelee.Ready, Set.....
Now notice that everyone else is underhand throwing their egg, but not Ethan. He is throwing his as hard as he can!

There are some eggs in progress!

Katelee wasn't that big on the rolling thing, she was happy just chewing on her egg!

Twilight and Other Random Thoughts

I know, I know, I haven't updated our blog in like FOREVER... I must start by telling everyone that I was in a Compliance Seminar all week last week and the only way I can update our pictures is through a device that I keep at work. So we have REALLY cute pictures from Easter and such, but they are still on the camera at home. There are plenty of updates to come when I get the pictures downloaded onto my computer! But I guess I can tell you a few random stories....



1. A while back some ladies in my ward were talking about the Twilight series. They were all so fascinated with this book and finished the last one in a matter of days. When I found out it was about Vampires I refused to read it. Vampires just didn't do anything for me, and I felt like it was probably going to be too far fetched to really enjoy. (you know because Harry Potter is completely believable :) Well for my Birthday Anna and Enrique bought me the whole series, all four books. I still wasn't that interested in reading them, but I had just finished another series and was in need of something to read and do while I pumped my life away. I figures, we'll I now own the books I might as well read the first one and see if I like it. Well about 20 days later I finished the last book... Needless to say I was addicted. From the first chapter the book drew me in and I just couldn't put it down. Now all of you mothers out there and fathers, know there is not enough time in a day to read, however I MADE time to read. I read at red lights and found myself looking forward to them. I'd be coming up to a green light and hoping it would turn red so I could read more. I bought the movie and thought they did a pretty good job with it, Of course Books are ALWAYS better than the movie. Anyways, reading this series got me interested in following my real dream of writing a novel one day, and I have about 12 pages of a book written. Not that I'll ever let anyone read it....



2. Yesterday when Chris picked Ethan up from nursery he was informed that Ethan BIT another kid. I can't believe it, my son is the kid that bites people. YEAH! He didn't break the skin, not that that makes it okay, but at least it wasn't a crazy bloody bit! So I was thinking, maybe at night Ethan was getting my Twilight books and reading them himself. He must be an Edward fan! :) I'm partly contributing his biting to the Breathing Treatment he has to do two times a day. It is a steroid and steroids are linked to aggression, mood swings and on and on... Oh course this does not make it okay either, and we are trying to think how we can get this problem fixed. He has bitten Katelee before, once she didn't even cry, but Ethan did because he got a swat from Grandma! If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.



3. Katelee has started sitting up really well. She went from arching her back every time we tried to sit her down, to sitting like she has been forever. I love it. She is just the cutest little girl and I love to see her progress. Along with the sitting up she has become an expert at rolling over! She rolls until she gets where she wants to go. We put hard wood floors in and that makes for a hard challenge to keep her on a blanket or rug! She will be a tough girl...



4. Chris is participating in a study that measures the tissue temperature after being iced. So they are going to ice his leg and then poke him with a REAL BIG needle to get a temperature reading. He says they might even have to give him a shot of Novocaine because the needle is big. I think that is how they are doing it, however for more details you will have to talk to Chris about it! :)



5. Last week we visited Anna's ward because she was singing and playing a piano solo, which she did fabulous on! Anyways her bishop challenged everyone to walk to church the next Sunday. So Chris, Katelee and Ethan walked to church. (I was at a Youth Conference church meeting and meet them later) When I got back to our ward Sunday School was just getting out and Chris was in the lobby with Katelee. (It had been two hours since church started) Chris said he was just now cooling down from walking to church! But I was proud of him for walking... I know it made Ethan and Katelee's day. They love to be outside!



6. As I said above I was in a Compliance class/seminar from Tuesday-Friday last week. It was very educational and I also realized that I'm way too outgoing and friendly to be a Compliance Officer. Everyone there was very reserved and not very nice. The girl next to me finally started to warm up by Friday, but I didn't let that stop me from cracking jokes. :) I was the only local there and they thought that was pretty cool, but they only talked to me to see what they needed to see while they were here. Of course Chris and I avoid the strip so I wasn't much help!

7. Katelee is getting better at the whole sleep thing. She is sleeping better at night, however she now cries when we first put her down for a while. I'm sure she'll get over that, but I'll take her crying when we put her down to her crying in the middle of the night!

8. This weekend was Youth Conference for my ward and I went to a few of the activities. The first activity was Wednesday, a Talent show. There were a few of people that when they started I just wanted to roll up in a ball and die for them. It amazes me that some people can sing so bad and still think they sound great, but it also amazes me that people have the guts to get up in front of a large group of teenagers and do stuff! So kudos to them! :) Then Friday night was a dance. I was actually excited for this one. I loved church dances back in my teenage days and thought I'd have fun. Well can I just tell you this a big dud of a group. For the first hour of the dance everyone just stood in their groups and talked. Finally it got a little better, but no one out there danced as good as Liesl, Tenille or I use to! Unfortunately the girls from our ward were some of the biggest duds so I didn't even get to dance with them! (Although one of our 14 year old girls danced with 4 different guys in one song. I guess she was trying to make them all feel special!) Maybe next time I'll start some dancing! Sunday there was a testimony meeting that went pretty well. However it still had some drama. The second girl to talk either passed out or tripped and fell on her way down. Luckily one of the guys on stage is a Dr. so I just sat there and didn't worry about me having to use my First Aid or CPR skills! :)

9. While I was at the above events Chris was with the kids. I'm really grateful for a husband that doesn't complain about my calling and the time it leaves him with the kids at night. Getting them both ready for bed and the same time is a hard task that my husband is more capable of doing than I am. Thank you Chris for always being so supportive and loving me and your kids unconditionally.

10. When I get the pictures on my computer I will have more stories to tell, I hope these ones last you all for a little while! :)

Weekend Funnies...

We were driving home from Grandma and Grandpa Nelson's house and Katelee wasn't the happiest little girl. She was crying pretty loud and Ethan was reading "Daddy's church book." After Katelee crying for a little while Ethan finally yells, "Katelee, Katelee, Katelee OKAY, Okay Katelee." Then he goes right back to reading his book. It was the funniest thing. Chris and I just looked at each other and started laughing. We always say, "Your okay Katelee" and we figure that is what Ethan was telling her, he was just yelling so she could hear him!

Katelee is rolling over quite well now, but still will not sit up for very long. She is a pretty lazy girl, Ethan started crawling at 8 months and I think Katelee will be lucky if she is sitting by then. But you really can't blame the girl, she doesn't get on the floor much at Grandma's house during the day because Hurricane Ethan is all over the place and it's just not safe!

Ethan is talking pretty well now and is good at putting his words together to make sentences. We were on our way up to RaNae and Jim's house on Friday. We decided to drive up in Grandma Nelson's car. So Grandma gave Chris the keys. We get in the car and Ethan says, "Daddy drive MaMa's car!" It was the cutest thing. I love that he is talking in sentences now. He is growing up more and more every day!

This weekend was General Conference for our church. This means that we can watch it on TV. There are 4 total sessions each 2 hours each. Ethan was really funny. Chris was up getting ready on Saturday and the first session started. Ethan goes to the bottom of the stairs and yells up them, "Daddy, church on... DADDY, CHURCH ON!" and then any time a prayer was said Ethan would say AMEN when it was done. Katelee and Ethan behaved pretty well for us so we were able to pay attention to most of it. This weekend was a very nice one for our little family, as we were able to spend so much time together and were able to feel the spirit in our little house!

Update on the Kids

Ethan, Where do I start! This boy never slows down, I'm amazed he ever goes to sleep at night. Speaking of which, Wednesday he wasn't going to go to sleep. Chris was working on a paper that was due the next day. I got both of the kids ready, we said family prayers, Chris put Katelee down and I read Ethan his bedtime stories. Ethan was in bed by 8:00 and down the stairs by 8:05...We took away his Binky's, his stars and even gated him in! I finally had to sit in his room until he fell asleep which was round 10:15. So my nice relaxing night turned into my going to bed frustrated and tired. But we love this little man. He is really starting to talk a lot and will try saying anything you tell him too. He is really good at saying Big Firetruck and Aunt Anna, (which sounds like Hot Anna) He is also getting really good at his facial expressions. He will stand there and tell you a story with his eyes. I just love when he looks at me like I'm crazy! We have finally decided to cut his hair and it's breaking my heart. I just know that when I cut his hair he will look two years older. And I'm not ready for him to be that old yet! Ethan has the most adorable laugh and loves to tease the dog! He also likes to pretend he is a dog, going so far as licking the floor and standing by the window and barking and panting like Soley does! He even loves to drink her water... People say Boys are a handful, so I think Ethan is a Boy on crack, he is way more than a handful! But when he gives me a hug and takes his Binky out to kiss me it just melts my heart of stone! I love this little man and can't wait to see what the future brings.... Katelee, Katelee, Katelee... So as you might have noticed I haven't posted anything about her sleeping habits in quite some time. This is for two reasons: 1. Complaining didn't improve her sleeping at all and 2. I didn't want to jinx it. About a month ago I told Chris, "Okay tonight she is going down un-swaddled and we are going to let her cry as long as it takes." So we put her down around 7:45 and she cried really good until 9:00. I was crocheting and felt like the time really flew by, however Chris was just watching TV and it felt like forever to him. Around midnight she started crying again... I debated getting up and giving her the Binky but thought, no just let her be... She cried for 20 more minutes and then was out again! So since then she has been a good baby. She goes down really good around 8pm and I refuse to go into her room before 3am. She is still getting a bottle in the middle of the night, but once she is fed I burp her for like 2 minutes and then she is out until 7am. So she has improved 100%! The last 3 or 4 nights she has slept from 8-around 4... So wish us luck that she continues to sleep good! She is always smiling and razing all the time. We think she might be teething because she has been a little moody lately... But nothing too terrible! This little girl can make me smile any time, I just love her chubby little cheeks and her really cute personality!
The Nelson family is doing good, Chris is on Spring Break so I have a FULL week of nothing but my Husband and Kids! I can't wait!