About time!!

There's an old adage that a baby can sleep through the night once they double their birth weight. My other two had doubled theirs by 4 months.

Clarabee was a little slower. It took her NINE months, but she finally did it!

She now weighs 18 lbs.

And now she'll miraculously start sleeping through the night. Right? RIGHT????

In fairness my first two babies were much lighter at birth, 7 lb 6 oz, and 7 lb 14 oz respectively, so they only had to reach 15-16 lbs to double their weights.

However both Brielle and Hyrum weighed 18 lbs before they were 6 months old. Clara is my little petite baby, growing nice and slowly at her own pace. I just put away her 3-6 month clothes a bit ago. A tad surprising since she was so heavy when she was born! (a smidge under 9 pounds)

The Children

This was supposed to be Clara's 8 month picture taking time.

But she didn't cooperate.

It was nap time, and Clarabee didn't want to sit alone and she was pretty sure she needed that binky in.

A couple shots sans binky. I had to do jumping jacks and silly faces to coax that smile. Brielle is mostly shocked at the antics her mother is stooping to just to get a grin from baby.

Dressed up pretty, Clarabelle in her dress from Maria and Brett; and Brielle in her Easter dress from Grandma Francis.

Hugs and Kisses!

chocolate bunnies

Easter Morning

Ahh, the excitement of Easter Morning!

After a fretful night tossing and turning, imagining all of the jelly beans and chocolate bunnies that would appear on the morrow, the children woke up and RAN down the hall to find their baskets.

And of course they were not disappointed. (though their expressions in these photos might imply otherwise) Chocolate and sugar galore.

Except for Clarabelle, she got books and toys.

Look at that bed-head!

Since it was her first Easter, Clara had the most pictures taken of her.

The children found a million eggs and now have more candy than they know what to do with. Fortunately their Daddy eats a handful every time they aren't looking. =0)

And of course they know the REAL reason for Easter, and both children do a great job explaining why we celebrate this important holiday, and how wonderful it is that the Savior died for us and was resurrected.

Egg Hunt at the Zoo

This year on the Saturday before Easter we went to the zoo for their egg hunt.

I LOVE the zoo, but I would not go there on Easter weekend again. The place was......well, a zoo! It was extremely crowded, and the egg hunt was silly and not worth an hour waiting in line. The eggs didn't have candy in them, (which we knew ahead of time) and they weren't hidden, just dropped on the ground, so it wasn't challenging. We should have skipped the egg hunt altogether and gone straight to the animals, but try telling that to your child. =0)

At least the kids had a great time, and that's what matters.

Petting a bunny.

Clara watching the excitement.

She's a happy baby wherever I take her, be it the zoo or the gas station.

Clara the Turtle.

This was our first warm day in FOREVER, so it was hard to convince Hyrum he didn't need the winter parka!

Brielle the Spider

Hyrum the dead turtle.

Hyrum the Jaguar

Say cheese.

My favorite part of these pictures is the sign in the background warning people to stand on the rocks at their own risk. There is no mention of jumping.

And that was our Easter at the Zoo!

Gorillas

My favorite animals to watch at the zoo are the gorillas. And on special occasions (such as the day before Easter when we went) they give the animals enrichment objects, in this instance Easter Baskets filled with various treats. Raw meat for the grizzlies and tigers and lions; bugs for the meerkats; fish for the penguins; and for the gorillas, fruits and vegetables.

Did I mention the food came in a basket? ; )

The youngest gorilla is a female that was born the same time as Hyrum. And since we moved here when they were both 3 months old, we've watched her grow up. She is by far the most playful of the troupe. We watched her place the basket on her head like a hat, then over her face as she climbed up into her tree-nest.

Posing at the top with her basket.

And when she grew bored of that she spent a risky 15 minutes teasing the huge Silver Back Male by reaching down and pulling his hair, then scampering away quicker than he could swat at her.

Finally the father gorilla climbed down and found a more peaceful spot away from the 3 year old.

Somehow this interaction seems so familiar.

=0)

Yes, son.

Hyrum was doing some serious reflecting the other day in the car. Finally he divulges his epiphany:

"We need Dad because he goes to work and makes money so that Mom can buy things. And Dad needs Mom so she can tell him what to do."

Yes, son, that's exactly right.

A few days before that as I drove to pick up Brielle from preschool Hyrum asked me:

"Mom, are you the Master of the Road?"

"The WHAT??"

"You know, the Master of the Road. The Master of the Road is the best driver in the world and controls all the cars."

"Yes, son. Yes I am."