Elara 10 months

 I offically think this photo sums up how our family makes you feel being lugged around to everything we do. Dad took Kael and Eden somewhere the other day and I had you home to myself and I just had YOU. You weren't neglected and I still got stuff done and you seemed so happy to just have Mom. Being the 3rd kid must really be a lot of work. Your schedule is always being thrown off by something t-ball, dance, primary, church stuff, friends, play dates, family outings. You name it and your schedule comes in second. Maybe that is why you have been my hardest baby. I don't know.

For the most part, during the day this is you. My smiling, happy baby. You love life. You love your family. You love to play and explore. You really are happy. You now have 6 teeth. You weigh 17 lbs 5 oz. You are 50% for height and weight and about 75% for head circumference. Yup, you have a big head. It's ok though, the doctor says you will grow into it. At the most recent doctor's appointment (you've had a lot lately) the doctor said you still have a heart murmur. Eventually someday we will have to get an echo done, and they will have to sedate you. My hope is that it goes away before they do this. You will probably be around 5. Having the murmur is not a problem and lots of people live with them and don't even know it. Grandma Heaton has one. It just seems like I needed one more thing to worry about on this earth. I know you will be fine, just something to always stay in the back of my mind. You have been sick for the last week. You are a little more whiney during the day and then you have a hard time breathing at night. It hasn't helped with having your reflux and not sleeping at night. You officially went to waking up at least every 2 to 3 hours if not more. I'm really really tired kid. I think we finally got the reflux under control a bit. We changed your medication around a bit, but the zantac seems to help the most. We are going to have to up the dose soon too. The doctor's keep saying that by a year you should be so much better. The problem is I don't want you to be a year old and I want to enjoy this now. Dad gave me a blessing the other night and you too. It was really nice. You still are up a ton at night and are still sick, but somehow I feel peaceful with it all and handle it so much better now. I think it is because I know I need to just enjoy you right now the way you are. You aren't going to miraculously change and start sleeping at night, or not wake up in pain from reflux at least once a week. You are who you are. Your body is what it is. Eventually you will sleep. Eventually things will get better, but for now you and me kid we have our late night sleep over parties. And sometime we do party. If you are really struggling with reflux sometimes I can get you to watch a show on the kindle with me and that seems to calm you down until you fall asleep again. It is also hard because you have no way to soothe yourself. You don't like pacifiers, you don't suck your thumb, and you have nothing special you really love. What you really love is Mom. I am your comfort. Maybe just maybe I can find something else that will help you soothe yourself, we will see.

You really are the most amazing little girl Elara. You love your brother and sister. You were made for our family. I had a hard time imagining life with you in our family before you got here. Now, you are our world. Kael and Eden play with you every morning.  You have Dad wrapped around your finger. You make our family complete. 

A little about what you are doing.

You can stand up and hold on to things. Sometimes you let go and can stand for a couple seconds without holding anything.

You crawl like a maniac. I have to ask Kael where you are all the time because I can't find you. Usually you sneak into the big kids room where all the toys are and just entertain yourself. Or, you sneak into the kitchen and start opening drawers and cupboards and playing with whatever you can get your hands on.

You love to feed yourself. You are not a big fan of baby food at all. You want to eat like a grown up. You have the silliest pincher grasp with your thumb and forefinger. It is hilarious! 

You love peas, carrots, olives, avocados, bananas, chewing on a whole apple, pasta, just anything that we will let you feed yourself really.

You wear a size 3 diaper. 

You bite me ALL the time. Ouch. Stop that would you. Teething has been a pain for you too. 6 teeth now when Kael and Eden were barely getting their first 2. You have to do everything faster than Kael and Eden did. I swear you will be walking in a month just to prove a point.

Your hair is strawberry blonde.

You take 2 naps a day when I remember. Sometimes you get 3 cat naps.

You can say Da da. 

You love to blow raspberries, and make a noise with your finger on your lips. You think you are communicating. But, you refuse to try to even say Ma ma. 

Da da is all you want to say.

The big kids really wear you out, but you try to keep up with them. You want to be where ever they are and doing whatever they are doing.

You love taking a bath with the big kids.

You do almost everything with purpose. You are very aware of things around you and you don't do something unless you know what you are doing and why. Purpose.

I love you Elara Jane. You make me smile even when I'm really really tired. Like right now as you woke up for your normal 10:30 wake up. 

I pray life gets a little easier for you. It's been a rough start for us both. I know we can make it together. That is what families are for right?! 

Thanks for being my baby girl even though you are growing too fast and don't want that role for long. You will always be my baby. I love you to the moon and back kiddo!

Love,

Ma Ma

Eden Update

Oh Eden,

You make me smile when I think of how fast you are growing up. I look at what Kael was like at 3 and you two couldn't be more different. You keep me on my toes! Dad and I have discovered we can't raise you like we have raised Kael so far. Kael is very much a reward verses punishment person. Don't get me wrong, Kael was super tough the first 3 years and is totally tough in his own way, but you my dear daughter are so strong willed, full of personality, and are opinionated about everything! I'm so glad you have these qualities. They are going to make you into the most wonderful person and you are the most wonderful person. It just makes my job more difficult it seems. You have to state your opinion about everything. And you have an opinion on everything. You let me know how things really are. "Mom, you do this and I will do this." "Mom I need you to braid my Barbie's hair." "Mom Kael is NOT being nice." "Mom, Elara is crying, go get Elara!" "Mom, I don't want to clean up the toys that I made a mess with." "I am done eating, I do NOT want to finish. I PROMISE I won't ask for food in bed." "Mom, you are a princess, I'm a princess, Elara is a princess, and Kael and Dad are superheros!"

This list goes on and on. I don't think you ever stop talking. Dad took you on a car ride and came home just amazed. He looked at me and said, "Is she always talking?" He said that you didn't stop. He said he finally turned on the radio and you still were talking to your animals in the back after he stopped talking to you. It was really funny. If you aren't talking to one of us you are talking to your dolls. You love tea parties, playing princess, superheros with Kael, coloring, reading stories, playing with barbie dolls, building forts, dancing and more dancing, singing and more singing. You are 100% girl. You love the new barbie house and barbie dolls our neighbors gave to you. I think it was your birthday and Christmas for several years thrown together all at once by how much you love those Barbies. It makes me so happy to see you so happy and playing and having fun. You have quite the imagination.

You are the best snuggler hands down. Growing up my brothers and sisters said I was the best snuggler, but I think you even got ME beat. Favorite places to snuggle, Dad's lap, Papa Pat's lap, next to Kael on the couch, and anywhere Mom is at night. You always come to me at least once if not twice or three times and crawl in bed with me and just say, "Mom, I need you, I need to lay by you". I can't really get too upset because that was me when I was your age. It just was that way. I just needed comfort from someone or anyone. I usually let you lay by me for 5 minutes and then end up carrying  you back to bed. Not gonna lie, it is A LOT of work, especially when I've been up all night with Elara or when you wake up Elara to get me. If you could just stay in your bed a little more I think my life would be a little easier. But, you are the BEST snuggler and who can resist that right? Even with elbows and knees shoving at me and pushing me off the bed.

You think Elara is the best baby ever. When she cries you try to calm her down. You love saying she is your sister. Bath time is always more fun when Elara is in there with you. I know you are going to have so much fun playing with her when she is older. You already share your dolls and all your hand me downs with her and I think Elara adores you! You are the best big sister.

Eden, I love you so much. Don't change, but it would be nice to figure out how to get you to do something when you don't want to do it. It sure would me bed time easier. You are an adventure for me for sure and I love you for taking me on it! Words can't express how happy you make me and I love you so much! Don't change who you are because you are perfect.

I love you Eden Marie! I'm so proud of you!

Love,
Mom

Kael Update T-Ball Star

Dear Kael,

It has been a while since I have written you a letter and I think it is time to do one again. I can't believe you will be 5 in just two weeks! I can't believe I've kept you alive and out of the emergency room for 5 years. I think it is an accomplishment to me. 5! You talk about turning 5 and your birthday every single day for the last 3 months. You have grown so much in so many ways in the last several months. Your enthusiastic and happy personality shines. You are a joy to be around. You are so friendly and make new best friends every single day. You are so personable. Just tonight coming home there was a new couple that moved into our courtyard. Already, you learned their names and invited them to our home. You caught a lizard with Dad in California that you named Igor. You want everyone to meet your lizard. Everyone. You adore Elara. You play games with her and try to make her smile all day long. You like to make her laugh. You love to hold her and give her hugs. You do make her smile every day.

You love being with Eden. You guys can play so well together. You make each other laugh. You pester her. Recently you have begun trying to scare Eden. You really are your father's son. Dad used to do this to his sisters all the time. It is really quite funny.

I think your best friend really is your Dad though. You wake him up in the mornings to work out together. You love spending this special time with Dad. You are getting so tough! You can do about 21 straight push ups, about 12 pull ups, you do squats, bicep curls. Basically, anything Dad does you have to do too. You advanced from 3 lb weights to 5 lbs and you think you are the coolest thing ever! I think you are! I love it when you show me your muscles. I love that you love exercise. 

You love playing the wii and are getting pretty good at mario kart.

You really love your new red bike. You ride around and around and around all the time you are outside. You really love it if another kid will race with you.

You are so excited for kindergarten. That came fast. Only one more month until you officially start real school. Sigh. I know you will love it, but I will miss you! Having you home this summer has been a blast. I didn't realize how much I missed having you around the house while you were at preschool until this summer! I really missed you and I'm not quite ready for you to start school! I'm just glad we have another month.

While visiting Grandpa Heaton we discovered your love of baseball. Grandpa got you all set up for t-ball this summer. You are one fantastic athlete! You can throw the ball so hard and so far and same with hitting! You had Grandpa amazed. You had 5 t-ball games this July. Not just because I'm biased, but you were the best athlete on all the teams that we played. You could throw the farthest and hit the farthest. You picked up on what you were suppose to do so fast! The best part was I really think you had a great time. You loved playing with your team and really loved talking to your coach. One of the Mom's said you had the most personality on the team. You can do hard things and you will do great things.

Kael you are one AMAZING kid. I love you so much!

So a side story. Derek let Kael watch the first season of HeMan. He started going around the house afterward yelling, "I HAVE THE POWER!"
Then, we had a family home evening on the priesthood when Derek gave me and Elara a blessing, and since then he runs around the house yelling, "I HAVE THE PRIESTHOOD POWER!" To which we respond, when you turn 12!
And now that he has a trophy from t-ball this morning he yells, "I HAVE THE PRIESTHOOD POWER TROPHY!"
The kid cracks me up! He is too funny.

Grandpa Heaton

Volma Heaton
June 26, 1922 to July 20, 2013

My Grandpa Heaton passed away in the middle of the night. Elara has been struggling sleeping a lot lately. Between reflux, off schedule, and then getting sick it's just been rough. I had been asleep for about 30 minutes and was dreaming, of what I can't remember. All of a sudden I very clearly heard my name being spoken to me. "Sharice!" I woke up in a panic. My first instinct was to hit Derek and see what he wanted from me. But, then I stopped and knew Derek was sleeping, or at least he didn't say my name. I feel like this was a preparation for me of sorts. Grandpa got pneumonia and was in the hospital. He was 91. Being from a medical family, I knew that this probably was close to Grandpa's time. If he somehow recovered, I doubted to myself he would stay for long. Derek knew his time must be short. My Mom knew too. I crawled back into bed around 7 am after being up most of the night with the baby. Around 7:30 am Derek came home. He was going to the temple that morning. I was still up and said hi. He quietly came and kissed me, and told me that my Grandpa died in the middle of the night. It was one of the sweetest moments in my life. This moment solidified in my heart how good of a doctor my husband is going to be. I haven't lost anyone in my family before that was somewhat close to me. This was a first. And even still with 9 children and gazillions of grandchildren and great grandchildren you can imagine I haven't spent as much time with my Grandpa as I would have liked. I didn't cry. I just kind of smiled. Grandpa was home and he wouldn't have to suffer a long drawn out illness, or have a hard time returning home to Heavenly Father. Yes, I am sad. I want to remember today. I admit I have shed a couple tears, but they have been from seeing so many wonderful, happy memories shared by family members. Remembering so many happy, fun, loving times all coming from one man, My Grandpa! I was looking frantically for a picture of Grandpa this morning. I knew I had one somewhere. In my heart I knew I needed to find it. I did. Along with that picture came a letter I had written to Derek while he was away at officer training for the air force in June 2011. I remember writing Derek letters on the blog, but didn't realize I wrote this. It is perfect. It sums up my experience with my Grandpa.

http://www.dereksharicebradley.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-26-2011-grandpa-heatons-89th.html

I will just post the link. Here are some of my favorite comments from family today about Grandpa.

Shellianne wrote:
Good-bye Grandpa Heaton. You were the toughest person I knew with the biggest hands I'd ever seen. Family reunions will never be the same without you skunking everyone in canasta.

Cousin Tammy wrote:
Goodbye grandpa. We love you very much and you'll be greatly missed. You left a big mark on this world with the legacy you left behind and this world was made a better place with you in it. As for this little girl, you'll always be my real life John Wayne with hands the size of my head and a voice that always demands a smile. May your next adventure be just as great as this one. I can't wait to hear all about it when we see each other again.

So, I guess in closing, I really miss my John Wayne Grandpa with his big hands that did a lot of good on this earth. I really will miss you Grandpa. Till we meet again. Because I know we will, and what a reunion that will be! I just hope there is canasta in Heaven, because I know Grandpa will save me a seat.

A Princess and Brains

Eden got to go to her friend Chloe's birthday party that was for Princess's. It was fun to finally put the Cinderella dress we found in the dumpster to use! Can't beat free and hey, I washed it! Great dress up clothes I say! Her tiara broke so, I found some white fabric and pinned it around her head. I think the outfit turned out perfect. It makes my little 3 year old look too grown up. When did she become a little girl?!

Top: Ava, Chloe, Holly, Eden, Sarah

Bottom: Sidnie, Natalie, ??

All the pretty princess's together! 

 We have found a new fun activity this summer. Derek is studying just down the road where the anatomy lab is located, so we have put the kid's bikes to use and ride down to drop him off a lunch every couple of days. This particular day Derek got to show us around a little. We didn't go into the cadaver room, but we got to see all the fun stuff outside of it. I did anatomy in college, but this was amazing the stuff they have preserved. So, being the medical nerds we are, we took a picture of the kids next to the brain...

Can't help that we love medicine and the super awesome human body.

= Nerdy family

=The kids loved it!

4th of July Happy Independence Day!

 Eden painted my toes and I painted hers. She is getting better actually. I can't believe how much she LOVES with a passion to paint nails. She is 100% girl. Love her!

 Poor Derek was already in deep study mode for step 2 for when the 4th came. So, the kids and I decided to see Grammy in action at work. We went to the city of Sandy's celebration. It was so much fun! I have wanted to dress the kids up for a while now and have really wanted to paint their faces. They got in on the spirit of it and they loved it! It was so much fun just dressing up.

 We got to see Grammy in action and she was fabulous!

 I let the kids get a couple tickets. We put their working out with Dad in the mornings to use and had them climb a rock wall and they went down a giant shark slide.

 Elara was a trooper even though I forgot the sunblock and got all of us except Eden burned. I'm so glad at least one of my children can handle just a little sun!

 Kael showing his muscles.

 Eden had to be cute showing off her muscles.

 It was hard for them to figure out balancing because they were so light the rope thing just held them where they were. Eden was so light we literally had to pull her down. I don't know how we would have gotten her down if she made it to the top. She got higher than Kael did, but both kids did amazing!

 Who doesn't love a hot dog for lunch? Couldn't have had a better meal for the 4th!

 The awesome shark slide.

 They had booths set up with tons of free things for the kids to do. We made these flowers, bouncy balls, and colored puzzles to take home. They had free balloon animals and face painting, but the lines were so long we skipped out. Then the kids got snow cones and we called it a day! It was so much fun having the kids old enough to go play. I'm already looking forward to all the fun stuff we will be able to do next summer.

 Elara really likes having her tongue out lately. It's hard to get a picture without it hanging out.

 That night we had our own personal fireworks show close to bedtime since the kids didn't nap and we didn't want to stay up late. Maybe next year we will catch a real fireworks show. Something tells me it won't beat Disneyland fireworks show though.

Elara's face says it all. We sure had a super fun 4th!

Simi Valley, California June 24-28

TOMMY'S

We can't go to Simi and not get Tommy's. We crave this food daily here. It's a good thing we don't live there or we would be broke and really be eating 10 x the calories a person is normally suppose to eat per day in 1 meal... Oh I need more! I think we had Tommy's 4 times while we were there. You can never eat too much Tommy's. Did I mention Tommy's yet? MMMMmmmmmmmm! 

 There was a park just down the road from Derek's grandparent's house that we walked to. Derek found Elara this huge leaf and she totally loved it! We kept it until it finally fell apart. It was a sad day after that.

 Nana the Great with Kael and Eden.

 Papa Pat with Kael and Eden.

 These kiddos sure love their great grandparents! We sure had a blast staying with them for almost a whole week. They would follow Papa Pat around wherever he went and honestly I don't think he ever got sick of them. I think Eden has a special bond too. She would curl right up on Papa Pat's lap and be so happy and content there. They were instant buddies. This trip was much needed and we loved seeing all of the Aunt's and Uncle's and cousins. We were spoiled with beach trips and food and love by all of Derek's family. We feel so blessed to be numbered among the Pinkston family. I couldn't have married into a better family. 

 Meet Igor, the newest member of our family. He has traveled all the way from the grandparent's back yard to come stay at our home and amazingly he is still alive and eating the worms we feed him. Kael and Eden LOVE Igor. 

 The kids and I got to go to the beach twice this trip and I have to say I have fallen in love. I used to not love it so much because of the sand and salty water... Everything that makes up a beach. However, this trip, I embraced it and we played and we LOVED it. I can't wait for our next trip. I'm an official beach lover and want to get out there and boogie board or learn to surf as soon as I can!

 Derek caught Kael a crab after getting pinched a ton. Funny story. Derek and Kael took off to go play and I was watching Eden and Elara. Our big beach umbrella fell over and it was big. Meanwhile it knocked the bucket holding the crab over. I was scrambling for the umbrella that fell on some ladies and noticed the crab gone. I couldn't find it ANYWHERE. I was terrified it was going to get Elara. All of a sudden a group of people that were sun tanning near us started jumping up and screaming. I guess I found the crab! HAHAHA I grabbed the bucket, caught the stupid thing and apologized profusely! It sure made a good laugh for all of us. Thankfully the people laughed and weren't mad. Stupid crab. 

 Simi part two will come later once I get the pictures off my phone. Included will be Eden being Eve in the garden of Eden. She ran out naked from the bath tub to the entire family gathered in the living room to say a naked good night unbeknownst to me... mmm hmmm... And our first beach trip.

SIMI PART 2: 1ST BEACH TRIP

 Kael and Davis

 Eden and Heidi

 Pretty Elara

Al the kiddos piled on Davis!

We had so much fun going to the beach with Julie, Davis, Heidi, and another member family. The kids had a blast and Davis and Heidi were such good sports playing with the kids. I miss Simi already. I miss the people in Simi even more.