Brunson Kid Updates

First off there's Ivy. This girl can now really get around. She still does her silly scoot thing, but she's getting pretty fast. I find it easy to lose track of her. The other day we were upstairs bathing the boys and I turned around for just a second to wash their hair, when I heard the unmistakable sound of something falling down the stairs. I'm not gonna lie, I think I had a mini-heart attack as i ran out of the bathroom to see her sitting at the top of the stairs staring down at the ball she had just rolled down. PHEW!!! I picked her up and brought her in the bathroom with me, stood her next to the tub to watch the boys, and now she loves it. Every time they have a bath she is standing there watching and giggling.She switched to a toddler formula at the end of the year, and loves it. She started gaining good weight. Even gaining 13 1/2 ounces in just a week. She's a superstar. She loves to eat, and is enjoying the typical Brunson family favorites, such as yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese.

I recently met some women in my ward that have heart babies as well, although their babies aren't babies anymore, and are actually 19 year old girls. The interesting thing about them is that one of the girls has hypoplastic left heart syndrome also, and was the first baby to survive the Norwood surgery at Primary children's (that is the first surgery that Ivy had when she was 6 days old). It was great to meet them and very encouraging to hear that their daughters are doing so well. Anyway, enough on Ivy for today.

Dexter's turn. Dex is still rambunctious and crazy, and a lot of fun. He sometimes has the tendency to torture his brother and sister, but I don't think it's always on purpose. He's learning his abc's, and learning to sing songs and recognize tunes. He is loving nursery at church, even though he isn't in our class anymore.

He recently discovered an old stuffed panda bear in the toy box (I'm pretty sure we've had it forever, because I used to collect them and its probably from my teenage years), anyway, he's pretty obsessed with it and carries him around everywhere we go. He named it poobah, and loves to introduce everyone that comes over to his new best friend. It's funny and really makes us laugh. The other day he told our home teachers that its tail was not a tail, but in fact poo. We all had a good laugh, but I'm sure my face was pretty red with embarrassment.

I'm thinking of putting him in two years of preschool instead of one, just to give myself a little more sanity, so we'll probably be registering him next month and then he'd start in september. And lets face it, if he doesn't know the difference between a tail and poo, he could use a little extra school.


Corbin is also doing well. I'm constantly amazed by how smart and observant he is. Over the last couple of weeks he has become really interested in the music I listen to in the car. Even having a few favorite songs, for example we were listening to The Muse and he loved number three (Supermassive Black Hole from the Black Holes and Revelations album). He constantly requests me to "change it to number 3" and he and Dex both giggle like crazy during the whispery parts. He even recognizes music from the car if I happen to be playing it inside while I clean the house. He's so dang smart.

He is, of course, loving school. The other day was Pj day and he was a little confused about wearing his jammies to school, and I think thought I was a crazy for making him. Once he got there and realized that everyone was wearing them, he got over it, and actually had a great time watching a movie and eating snacks in his pj's with all his school friends.

He still enjoys church, and never complains about going. He had a little trouble adjusting to changing teachers in primary for the new year, but got over it quickly when he realized his new teacher was just as nice and fun as his old one. He's done really well the last couple of weeks and goes to class without shedding a tear.

Ten years of Bliss

About two weeks ago Scott and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary (of our first date, not wedding). By celebrated I mean, we stayed home, put the kids to bed and cuddled on the couch while we watched Conan, it was awesome. I've been planning to post this since then, but hadn't gotten around to it, now's the time.

Dear Scott,
Remember when I stood up first in seminary, so annoyed that the loud kid, sitting front and center didn't go first. And then as I stood there babbling about how its always cold in seminary, that same annoying kid stared at me with those big blue eyes, smiling like crazy......I don't remember either.

Remember how you lured me into your world with your interesting views on life, your surprisingly deep poetry, your awesome band, and your amazing smile. Me neither.

Remember when we were making out at your house by my mom's car, when your mom yelled out the window that I had to go home. Remember how mortified I was that she saw us making out!! I don't remember that, and I pray that she doesn't remember that!

Remember how we were sitting silently in your truck in the church parking lot, almost falling asleep, when you startled me awake by saying those three magic words, and then adding how I didn't have to say them back. I said them back, although, I don't remember that either.

Remember that time we went to the "BASH" and I unwillingly crowd-surfed during Goldfinger and got a black eye. You were so concerned that my mom would never let me go to another concert. I think I got a concussion, so consequently I don't recall that one either.

Remember when we went to see The Smashing Pumpkins during their final tour, and we pushed our way to the front of the crowd, and I almost passed out because I couldn't get enough air. You pulled me back to the back of the crowd and stayed with me even though they were your favorite band. Thank goodness I don't remember that, or I might feel guilty.

Remember when I freaked out on Christmas because I was expecting a marriage proposal and didn't get it. Then a few weeks later (on our anniversary) we were sitting in your room and you asked if you could see my "promise ring" for a second, then you gave it back to me and asked me to marry you. It was probably the most unromantic proposal ever, ruined even more by my impatient nagging. I wouldn't change it for anything, that is, if I remembered it.

Remember when we said "I do." in your backyard while all our family and friends looked on. I cried a little I think. And how we could barely even drive away when it was over because the car was so ridiculously decorated, so we stopped at a car-wash. That was fun...I think....if I remembered.

Remember that time we went to the temple with our sweet baby boy and were all sealed together for time and all eternity. And how you cried when they put his little hand on top of ours. It was the greatest day of my life, one that I will never forget. But in keeping the theme of the rest of the letter.....I don't remember.

Remember how you are my all time favorite person in the whole world and I wouldn't change a single thing about you. How you always manage to make me laugh, even when I have had a bad day. Remember how you are the world's greatest dad and how the kids think that you are so fun and cool. Remember how even when times are tough, you always have a good attitude and we manage to pull through. Yeah, I don't recall any of that either.

Thanks for putting up with me for ten years. I'm sure you'll get sick of me pretty soon, but until you do, I'm enjoying the ride.

Love you,
Stink wife

More proof that I married a total DORK

Admit it, you're impressed!

Once again click here

sleeping boys

Before I went to bed last night I checked on the boys. This is what I found.

Thanks for the table Grandma Marde

Our table came on friday night. It's not as much red as it is bright pink, but the kids love it anyway. Thanks so much for sending it to us, I'm sure we'll get plenty of use out of it.

testing out the table with saturday morning pancakes

Enjoying their cereal with "pooba"

crab-walk vs crawling, you decide

So about a month ago I asked Ivy's physical therapist, Katy, if she was one of those people against a baby walking without ever crawling. She said she wasn't against it, but she would prefer a crawl first. I was thinking that Ivy might completely skip on the whole crawling thing since she refused to be on her hands and knees, and liked to stand. Well, as it turns out, she fooled us both and did a crab-walk first. It's like a 50% walk, 50% crawl that's 100% adorable! She first did it on December 26th, which was exactly one year to the day since she was first released from primary childrens. What a wonderful one year anniversary present! She's also pulling herself into a standing position and cruising along the furniture like crazy. She is really blossoming and its very exciting for us. Check out our cute little missy on this video and see what I mean. She is one cute little thing.



as usual, here's the link

Moments that warm my heart

As a full time stay at home mom I have days when I feel overwhelmed by my own children. They are loud, they fight, they whine, they complain about what I make for dinner, they don't say thank you as much as they should, they're messy, they fight, they cry, they never want to go to bed, they always want a drink, they never eat things that are good for them, and did I mention they fight. Despite all these things that can make my day hard, there are tender moments that just warm my heart, and I am so proud to be their mother. Moments when they say "I love you" to me or Scott, but mostly when they say it to each other, when they give each other hugs, when they are concerned for each others well being, when they do silly things to make each other laugh, when they play together without fighting, and when they look at books together, just to name a few. Here are some pictures of a couple of these precious moments that make it all worth it.