Snow Day

Hello everyone!  Everyone is doing well out here!  We finally got a big snow storm!  It wasn't crazy, but it was the biggest we've had all year!  So of course, Brooke and I had to get out there!

The first day when it snowed it was under freezing all day so the snow wouldn't really stick together.  We tried to make a snowman, but I couldn't get anything bigger than a snowball to stick together.  Brooke did insist we throw snowballs at Gram and Monica through the windows though!  She thinks it's really funny.

She also enjoyed digging holes in the snow.  She would walk around and knock down the edge of the snow and say "DIG A HOLE!"  She did that over and over for quite some time.  It even won out over sledding for a while.

Eventually we headed into the back yard to our circle sled track!  Brooke loves to fall into the snow and thinks it is really funny.  She'll lean over in the sled until she falls out, and we spent a while with her running a few steps and then diving head first into the snow!  Then I'd pick her up and she'd take a few more steps and dive down again.

Here she is taking off running again!  She had a blast, and I was able to tire her out too!

Meanwhile Monica and Winry were staying warm inside!

Brooke loves Winry, and still want's to help with everything.  If we're ever having troubles with Brooke we'll just say "Brooke, can you help with Winry's diaper?" and she'll come right over.  It's  a great way to get her back on track!

The next day after the snow storm it got a fair bit warmer and the snow was sticking much better, so it was snowman time!  This was definitely the best snowman we've built so far.  I'm pretty sure a squirrel came and stole the nose though, because it was gone the next day.

I also taught Brooke how to make snow angels.  She thinks it is so fun.  It's not really surprising since she likes to dive into the snow.

This past week Winry managed to get her foot out of her swaddle... and then get it back in too...  I'm not really sure how this picture came to be, but it's pretty impressive what a little baby can do!

Brooke has really taken a liking to the swings the last few weeks.  I think she really likes to be able to hold the swing herself, and every time we go she gets a little braver and wants to be pushed higher and higher.  I think we got about as high as we'll be able to go for some time though this past week.

While I was working from home this past week I'd leave the office door open a crack so that Jelly could come in if she wanted to.  This led to me finding out all of the crazy places she sleeps in the office.  She likes lay down under my desk with all the power cords and the blinds from the window.  She also curled up in a tiny box and slept there all day one day, but the picture didn't turn out very well.

Monica decided it was time to get some new born pictures of Winry this past week.  I've selected my favorite pictures to include here.  The first is a normal/cute one.

And the second screaming!

With all the baby stuff going on Brooke NEEDED a diaper for her stuffed animals.  She likes to put the diaper on the bear and then put him in pajamas.  Every once in a while she'll undress him and say he has a poopy diaper, and sometimes we'll give her a wipe to clean him up.  Then back on with the diaper and the pajamas.  Those are Winry's size, but I guess it's ok since Christmas has passed.

Jelly has been intrigued by the new baby things out and about.  She really likes to explore the car seat, because most of the time it's a great place for her to take a nap.  This same thing happened while Winry was in the car seat, but I missed getting a picture, but was able to get one when Paddington was taking a nap!

Here's a picture of Winry zonked out.

Monica's friend, Katie, came to visit us on Saturday.  She was so kind she brought presents for Brooke and Winry.  Winry got some clothes, and Brooke got Don't Break the Ice.  She loves it!  We help her get all the ice in, and then she likes to smash it all out!  She also really likes taking the legs of the board on and off all by herself.

Today we went out for a walk to the mailbox as a family, and Brooke just looked too cute to not get a picture!

And we bundled Winry up in a blanket to keep her warm!  It wasn't a long walk, and it was decently cold, but it was really nice to get out as a family!

Today I got to speak in Sacrament meeting.  I presented the ward mission plan for the year.  While giving the talk I talked about the Light of Christ, which is given to all men to discern good and evil.  I talked about how we can be examples of righteous living, and that when others see our good examples they can see that light, and recognize there is something different about us.  That difference interests and attracts people.  I know that as we live the gospel we can have the Light of Christ shine through us.  Just by being ourselves we can help lift others and help them come closer to Christ.  I know the Gospel is true, and that Jesus Christ is our Savior.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Survival Week

Hello everyone!  Everyone is doing well out here for the most part.  Winry decided sleep was overrated last night, which was SOO fun!  But other then that things have been good.  Brooke got spoiled this week with me being home from work and basically spending all of her waking hours with her.  It was pretty hard on her on Friday when I had to work again.  Brooke still loves Winry and loves to help with all things baby.  She's held Winry a few more times, and seems to like it better each time.

As mentioned, my job this past week was to keep Brooke busy so that Monica (and Winry) could sleep.  Brooke and I did all kinds of things this past week to keep her entertained.  Last Sunday it was a little chilly, but there was a breeze, so we headed to the park and brought the kite!  This is the first time Brooke has flown the kite without having to run everywhere, which is a little funny because when I got the kite out she started yelling "run daddy, run!!"

Monday morning we mostly played around the house.  It was chilly outside and snowed some, which means we had to get ready to play in the snow.  I'm not exactly sure what all a 2 year old needs to do to get ready, but I would never have guessed curling her eye lashes was essential!

We headed out into the back yard to do some sledding.  Brooke loves to sit in the sled and have me pull her around the yard.  We made many loops, and it kept getting harder and harder to pull her around as the snow got less and less.

But back to Brooke, she had a blast out there.  Our back yard is sloped a bit on one side, so we'd go down that side and then around the lawn to get back up the hill.  It's not quite steep enough for the sled to slide on it's own, but we definitely pick up speed heading down the "hill."  In fact, one time when I was turning the sled at the bottom Brooke toppled out into the snow!  Luckily, she thought it was a lot of fun and laughed.

When we got inside we had a little hot chocolate and had a dance party to warm up.  Brooke loves to dance, and she loves pancake robot.

On Tuesday morning Brooke and I headed out for adventures.  We went to Walmart to return a Fitbit I had that I didn't need, and then over to the library for story time.  Brooke's favorite part of story time is definitely the cow chair.  When I said we were going to the library the only thing she really cared about was getting a cow chair.  I was a little worried about this because I knew there were only 2, but apparently she's the only kid who likes them.  That's perfect though because we had a blast sitting on a cow eating a snack.

A little while after they bring out the toys actual story time starts.  We went in for that, and one of the stories had a horse with jingle bells, so they gave out jingle bells for all the kids to shake.  It was very loud, but Brooke had a lot of fun.

After the library we stopped by Target to get some stuff for the baby, and then at Salvation Army to look and see if they had any more board games for Brooke.  They didn't have anything this time, but Brooke was a trooper about it and didn't get sad.  I felt a little bad though because Brooke was so excited to get a new game, so I thought about it during nap time, and when she got up I had a few ideas of games we already had that she could try.  Trouble was a flop, but Brooke loves Hungry Hungry Hippos.  She doesn't much care to play it the real way, but she likes to put all the balls in the side holders and flick them in, and occasionally has a hippo eat a marble.  Though, when a hippo eats a marble and it rolls out the side she'll typically say "NO!  Stay inside!"

Meanwhile in Winry land she's been eating and sleeping and crying and all the usual over this past week.  She squirms a lot and is actually pretty strong.  She picks her head up all the time in fact!  Anyway, she also loves to fling her pacifiers out of her mouth across the room too, or in one rare instance, bite on the edge.

Winry and Monica both had doctors appointments on Monday, and both went fine.  We decided to try to see how much Winry had grown since her appointment though, and finding our normal scale just too inaccurate it was time to get her on the kitchen scale.  We were able to find a pretty good method to balance her up there, and to celebrate we baked cookies!

Brooke and I spent many an afternoon at the park this past week.  Brooke loves to go on the swings, and when we get to the park she'll usually swing for about 10-15 minutes before we do anything else.  This past week she leaned forward while swinging and saw her knees, and for some reason that was very funny (Motion sickness warning).  I really don't get what was going on, but at least we all had fun.

After Brooke had helped with Winry's diapers for a few days it was time for her to get her own diaper to use.  Fortunately we have some sample new born diapers from when Brooke was a baby that we tried and didn't like, so we gave her one to use.  Pikachu was so happy to get all cleaned up!

This past week we got some meals from people in our ward.  They were all SOOO GOOD!!  Thank you so much to everyone!  We really appreciate it!

Accompanying one of the meals was this pre-market spreadable butter.  I can't name names, or talk specifics, but we've begged so much free mac 'n' cheese  and crackers off of our neighbor we've become honorary product testers for his company!  My thoughts on this product is that it's spreadable, and buttery tasting, so I think it was a success.  If I can work out a royalty deal on this product I'll post additional information when it comes to market.

As Brooke and I headed to the park pretty much every day this past week, Brooke started to broaden her playing.  The playground is built next to a hill, and the top of the hill has a walkway into the playground so you don't have to climb any stairs, etc.  Brooke finally braved the hill on her own for the first time this past week.  It was only once, but it was progress!

Also, Winry has re-inspired Brooke's love for pacifiers.  Brooke had to get her old pacifiers out (or, said differently, we had to buy Winry her own pacifiers) to use again because they're just so fun!  Now that she's bigger she can use two at a time!

Also, Brooke peeled off the 3m size sticker from Winry's future clothes and stuck it on her pajamas this past week.  I tried to get a better picture, but Brooke wouldn't cooperate, but at least I got something!

One day this week Monica's mom went out to do some grocery shopping and came back with chocolate covered blueberries.  When Brooke got up from her nap she saw us having some later that night and said "Brooke wants some... some... some BEANS!!"  Luckily for her (and for us) they weren't really beans, but even today she said she wanted chocolate beans...  She also calls m&m's trail mix (because she gets them in her trail mix) and if she's just asking for one she asks for a trail mic.

Today we had a stake conference, and since we just had a baby and Monica isn't ready to head out for stuff like that, we got approval to watch it online.  The conference was really good, but during the opening prayer I told Brooke to fold her arms, and 5 seconds into the prayer she declares "Winry not folding arms!"  That got everyone laughing!

During stake conference there were talks and stories about recent converts as well as stories from being a mission president.  To me, at least, it felt very mission focused.  It was great to reflect on my mission and think of all the spiritual moments I had sharing the gospel.  Not to sound too ward mission leader-y, but we should all be looking for opportunities to share the gospel.  We can always be looking for people that could be blessed by receiving the gospel.  I know the church is true, and sharing our testimonies is a great way to strengthen our testimonies of the truths of the Gospel.  I encourage all to strive to live the teachings of Jesus Christ, and see how they can improve and bless your life.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Winry Sophia Harding

Winry (Win-ree) joined our family this past week!  She was born on Jan 11th, at 7:55 am, weighed 7 lbs 12 oz, and was 19 3/4 inches long!  Brooke loves her baby sister and has been a super helper so far!  She loves all things baby, and has been good about the fact that Mom(nica) can't hold her or pick her up right now.  In fact, this morning when she woke up she sat on the couch and held Winry for a little and even gave her a kiss on the head!

As you might expect, this entire post is gonna be baby.  On Tuesday we remembered to get a picture of Monica before the baby was born.  Good thing she didn't come early!

We had a scheduled C-section for Thursday morning.  We had to call in at 4:30, be in by 5:30, and then surgery was scheduled to start at 7:30.  Having a baby makes it a lot easier to wake up early in the morning, so we were able to make it to the hospital on time!

Here we are in the operating room, waiting to meet Winry!  We were both very excited!  We were lucky to have an extra nurse on the schedule, and she offered to take pictures for us!

I'm glad she was there too, because she got pictures I never would have!  She did a great job of capturing some cool moments without getting any pictures that looked gross!  She got this picture here with Winry half way out!

And here I am trimming down the cord.  I don't know if you have the option to cut the cord with a c-section, but I didn't want to even if I was allowed!  This is all the cord cutting I need.

After they got her cleaned up a little and weighed it was time to bring her around to Monica!  When it was time to leave the operating room one of the nurses suggested letting Monica hold Winry, so Monica got to carry her out.

After having a baby they take you to the recovery room for two hours.  The recovery room is basically just a room that has spots for nurses to sit in so they can come check on the baby and Monica every 15 minutes.  I held Winry for a little while and rocked her on the chair in the corner.

Once we got to our room Gram brought Brooke over to visit!  Brooke held her sister right away.  Right after we took the picture she said "put it back!"  Brooke might not love to hold babies, but she loves to help and loves being a big sister.

Brooke also brought a bear for Winry!!!  Monica was walking around Target with Brooke a few months ago and Brooke saw this bear and asked to see it.  When Monica handed it to her she said "This for baby Winry!" so Monica had to let her buy it.  She was very excited to give Winry the bear too, and every time she was at the hospital Brooke would get the bear from wherever it was and set it next to Winry.

We ordered some cake with Monica's dinner, and I ordered ice cream with mine, to celebrate Winry's birthday!  Here she is with her very first birthday cake!

And here we are all together!

Something that was new with baby Winry is they now wait 24 hours before doing the first bath and additional tests.  It seems to help babies adjust if you wait a little before bathing them because it stresses them out so much.  Anyway, Friday morning they came to get Winry for the tests and I came along with her.  They got some blood for blood work, and then they hooked up oxygen monitors to her hand and foot to make sure her whole body was getting sufficient and equal amounts of oxygen.

And that was all.  I feel like I've heard people talk about other tests they do with babies, but maybe those have gone away now...  Anyway, we came back to our room and it was time for her bath.  She was not a fan, but that was not a surprise.

When Brooke came to visit she came out to the car with me to help be vacuum up.  We moved Brooke's car seat so we could put Winry's seat where Brooke's had been.  Well, a two year old eating in a car is not always the cleanest, so we went out and vacuumed up so we could put in the car seat base.  Brooke sat in her car seat and kept me company.

Whenever Brooke came to visit the hospital, I'd usually keep her company.  Right outside the labor and delivery area there is a play area with blocks that she really liked to go to, as well as a fish tank.  She loved to watch the fish, and I showed her the cat fish and that became her favorite.  Every time she went by the fish tank with me she had to get up and see the catfish (or fishcat) and once she spotted it she was done and we could move on.

When we came back Gram was holding the baby and Brooke gave her a kiss!

Um... we have this picture... and it's cute.

On Saturday everyone was doing well, so we were able to go home!  Winry got to get into her car seat for the first time.  Curled up babies are hard to get in, but at least I didn't put her arms AND her legs through the straps this time!  Someone should really check the baby in the car seat for first time parents...

We set up an air mattress downstairs for me to sleep on since Monica can't do stairs for a week or two so she'll be sleeping on the couch.  When Brooke woke up in the morning she thought dad's bed was really cool, and she wanted a turn too.  She liked the air mattress, though I had to tell her a few times that we couldn't jump/bounce on it.

Things are going well, and it's good to be home.  Brooke likes being a big sister, and Jelly likes to have more baby things around...  In fact, she's been sleeping in Winry's swing for about 3 hours now!

We didn't end up going to church today (Gram took Brooke), so instead I'll share a story from this past week.  On Wednesday night Monica asked me to give her a blessing since we were heading in to have the baby the next morning.  I gave her a blessing and it was great!  We both felt the spirit very strongly.  I am so grateful to hold the Priesthood and to be able to bless my family in times of need.  I am so grateful for the comfort and peace the gospel brings into our lives.  I am so grateful for God's plan of salvation, and that we can return to live with him.  I am grateful for Winry, and for families, and that we can live together for all eternity.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.