Carmen's baby blessing

We are so glad that so many of our extended family members were able to come for Carmen's baby blessing! She held it together for the entire prayer and Dave did a great job. Carmen turns 2 months old this week... we all feel like she's been with us forever, though. She is a total angel--definitely the easiest baby I've ever had--a keeper for sure! We love you Carmencita!

This week in phone pictures

We've been playing so hard this week, I forgot to bring my camera anywhere! Fortunately, I've turned into quite a computer geek as of late and just figured out how to link up my cell phone with my computer via Bluetooth. (Lame, huh?) Although, I think you'll appreciate the week in pictures! :) Dave left on Sunday to go to Yosemite for the week with his dad and the Venturing Crew from our ward. THANKFULLY, his mom (all future references are "Mumu"... don't ask...) stayed to help me with the kids for the week. We've gone to Sea World (twice), the pool (twice), the movies (twice) and the week isn't even over yet.

 The week began with Alex falling asleep during Primary. If this doesn't look hilarious, believe me that it was. He woke up with a puddle of drool on his chair, and a big red mark on his forehead that didn't go away for about twenty minutes. Poor guy missed the snacks in Sunbeams and everything!
This is Dave at the top of Half Dome in Yosemite. He sent it to me today from his cell phone. I know he's exhausted and we should applaud the physical exertion it took to get up and everything BUT--his hand is seriously bigger than his entire head. Good job hiking, honey!

Here is Carmen at Sea World. I had her laying down on this edging in the shade next to a bunch of plants, and she kicked her feet in the cold planting soil and cooed/talked to the plants and trees for about 45 minutes. Soooo cute I had to take a picture.
Here are Anamarie and Hayden getting sprayed in the back at the Bay of Play. Imagine loud, high shrieks.
Hayden is going to be mortified that I'm putting this picture online, but she secretly loved being photographed with Cookie. :)
Here's Anamarie posing at the pool. In the background is Mumu watching Hayden getting ready to dive off of the platform. Carmen is asleep on the lounge chair next to Ana, and Alex is drying off on my chair.


 Thanks again Mumu for playing with us this week! Whoever said that a week with your grandchildren was restful?!?

My dancer girls

Here are pictures of Hayden and Anamarie at their dance recital last night. Hayden kept telling me that she had to concentrate so hard on her dance,  she couldn't smile-- but she became more comfortable during the second show and smiled through both of her dances.  At the beginning of Ana's dance, as the girls were walking up in a straight line facing the audience, Ana pushed the girl next to her backward (so that the other girl wouldn't be in front of her and block the audience's view of her). Later in the dance, she grabbed the same girl and led her to her place in the ending pose. Always a little mommy...

Fourth of July

Jodi's family, Angela's family, and mine decided to ditch the family reunion this past week because we've all had babies within the past few months and driving 10 hours to Trinity Lake didn't sound very fun. (sorry!) We got together for the Fourth of July parade, a BBQ, fireworks, and swimming and a movie the next day. The cousins had lots of fun together (although we missed Andy!) and the adults realized just how outnumbered we are--TWICE the number of kids as adults. Phew! This is a picture of Jodi, Angela, and me with the twins, Zoe and Pete, and Carmen and baby Jack.

Pirate Hayden

Here's Hayden at Carson's pirate party in June. She spoke like a pirate for the rest of the day...aaargh!

My boys

Even though girls outnumber boys in our house 4 to 2, my boys are all-boy. Here's Alex in his pajamas: a mixture of Lignting McQueen, Thomas the Train, and Superman. (He got his sense of fashion from his Dad) Dave played his last game of the season (woo-hoo!) and hit a HUGE homerun! So proud of my boys... :)-

Summertime!

Anamarie was SO brave this past week! She got 3 shots for kindergarten and, for the first time since she has had control of her extremities, did not kick the doctor or nurse! I made Dave take her, because I'm beyond tired of apologizing for her insane fear of doctors (she really has kicked the doctor on multiple occasions). Dave did an amazing job of distracting her and building her confidence so she hardly even flinched when the shots finally happened. I was in the waiting room and didn't hear a cry or scream! We love our new pediatrician Dr. Gabhart!!

This week Ana graduated from preschool, Hayden graduated from first grade, and Alex graduated from the 3 year old preschool class to the 4 year old preschool class. All three started summer day camp at the YMCA this week. Despite feeling like a complete taxi driver and missing them all on occasion, it was very nice to not have to feel like I need to entertain them, while trying to satisfy Carmem. Phew! Camps continue for the next two weeks...

Carmen's one month birthday was on Saturday. Already we can't imagine life before her (not sure if that's because we don't have energy to imagine anymore or...). Despite some tummy issues and random fussiness, she remains a calm, peaceful little girl. I read somewhere that now that she is 1 month old, she is not considered a "newborn" anymore. Now she's an "infant". How sad! This picture of her has some funky lighting, but you can see her BLUE eyes. (So, the 3 girls have Dave's blue eyes and Alex and I are the only greenies!)

Also this week, Dave, Chelsey and I went to the George Michael concert. What a fun, crazy mix of people--and an awesome concert! I kinda tagged along with Dave and Chelsey (I guess I forgot how much I loved Wham!). I put a song on the blog this week in memory. Thanks so much to my friend Sarah for hanging with Carmen and my niece for babysitting the other 3 so that we could go and rock like it's 1984! :)

Lastly, I'm putting on the video footage of the Mexico/Argentina football game we went to a few weeks back. It's just silly to see the insane patriotism there--with the Mexican national anthem first, crazy random people dressed up and milling around, the fans' reaction to Mexico's one goal, and the last part (in the dark) is in the stadium WAY after the game was over and Mexico lost 4-1...those Mexicans are still partying! I can't imagine what they would be like if they had won!

Get ready America's Funniest Home Videos

Carmen HATES baths--and her carseat. The two things that I think most every baby loves, drives my baby crazy. Hopefully, that will change as she turns 1 month old this week! Here is the absolute best video of how relieved Carmen is once her bath is over. Turn up the volume on your computer, and get ready to laugh! This was when she was 3 days old, after her first bath at home.

Viva la Mexico!

Here's a pic from the Mexico/Argentina soccer game last week. I'm so bummed that I can't include the video footage Dave took of the Mexico national anthem (I think I was the only person in the sold-out Qualcomm stadium not singing), or the footage of the guy with the Argentinian flag draped around his shoulders getting pelted by plastic cups as he ran around the stadium... it was the cultural event of the year for me, that's for sure! The soccer game was good, but people watching was INSANE! Good times!

On a different note, I'm totally loving Dave's attachment to Carmen today. He says that she's his favorite because she's the quietest (Ha! That's because he misses most of her fussy moments). But, he gets to spend time with her doing things I'd never think of--like taking her to see and touch the trees up close, and putting flowers behind her ears (you'll have to click on the pic to enlarge it and see the little purple flower). He definitely has a way with the ladies... :)-

Week one completed!

As much as I would have loved to stay home and nap when Carmen naps and "recover"... it is next to impossible to do with 3 others at home. So, this week we had no other choice but to jump back into life B.C. (before Carmen). The kids had a blast showing their baby sister off to their teachers and classmates. Thankfully, Carmen has been very adaptable, loves her carseat, and sleeps most of the day. I end up paying for it at night, but we're working on that part :). She's getting cuter by the minute, and seems to be growing at an amazing rate. She's about out of newborn size diapers... a thought that (sickly) makes me sad already.