We are thankful

We are thankful for:

• two beautiful healthy children that absolutely love each other, most of the time.

• a precious little girl that is so smart and independent.

• a happy little boy that is beginning to be a little daredevil but still so sweet.

• a little boy on the way that is getting to be quite the kicker.

• a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of good food and lots of good people (wish I would have gotten a picture).

• the Christmas season in which we can be thankful and think about a wonderful, humble birth.

Boy, oh Boy!!

Well, come the beginning of April (8th if right on time) Olivia and I will be outnumbered by boys 3-2.
Yep, Olivia and Callen are getting a little BROTHER!!!


He is a little wiggle worm and looks completely healthy. He really made the ultrasound tech work, she even said "I'm glad he is my first ultrasound of the day and not my last!" Just what I need, another energetic crazy kid. I guess he just wants to fit in with his brother and sister.

We are so excited and can't wait to meet and see our precious baby boy!! 21 weeks to go!

Halloween

(Our pumpkins- Olivia's, Callen's, and Casey's. Mine got really nasty really fast and was thrown away before I got a picture)

We had a fun, candy filled Halloween. Olivia wanted to be Cinderella and Callen was a dinosaur. Not going to lie, his costume was hilarious and it was so funny to see him walk and his big tail bouncing around. And of course, Olivia was a beautiful princess, but she always is.

We were able to go trick or treating at the credit union were Casey works. It was fun... and warm. Callen caught onto the candy bit very quickly and would run to each bucket and then stand there and march... he may have a slight obsession with chocolate. Casey's work dresses up by departments and Casey's decided to be nerds. After raiding my parents clothes, he fit the part pretty good (sorry Mom and Dad, I guess you are just both nerds).

Cheese!

We did go to a few houses door to door but it was just so cold that we didn't do that too long. Still, the kids had fun and got WAY too much candy, which sadly means Casey and I have ate WAY too much candy. Can't wait to see what costumes they pick next year!

(By the way, we find out what Payne baby 3 is on Tuesday the 15th!! Any guesses?)

Must be doing something right

Yesterday, Olivia came up to me and said "Mom, come look at my temple." Not knowing what she was going to show me, I followed her into her room...

and was surprised by the lego temple that she had built.

It always makes you feel good as a parent when something you have tried to teach them actually sticks. Especially something as important to us as our religion.

During this last General Conference, I had Olivia try to spot President Monson. She found him a couple times and that was about the extent of her conference weekend.
The next week at church, an older gentleman in my ward got up and bore his testimony.
Olivia grabs me, points to the man and whispers, "Mom, I found him!"
"Who?" I whisper back.
"President Monson! He's right there!!"
Pretty good compliment for that man.

While watching Jungle Book one night, when Mowgli is asleep and Baloo and Bagheera are talking, Olivia turns to Casey and me and asks "Do you think Mowgli already read his skip-tures (scriptures) and prayed?"

We are definitely not perfect parents and could definitely teach our children more but when those little bits of knowledge are exhibited from our children, oh boy, it warms the heart.

Callen

This little cutie keeps me smiling all day. He is so sweet. He love to give kisses, which I love too, and will frequently give them over and over. He is going in for one in that last picture.
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He also has been into climbing. That is joyful. He hasn't mastered it yet, thank goodness but it is close. No cupboard or cereal box is safe anymore.

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Him and Olivia have been playing so good together. For something to do, I took Olivia's mattress off the box strings and just had the mattress next to it. It was the best idea I have had in a long time!!! They loved it! They played so good in there for about 5 days until I put her bed together again. They would just climb up and down the box strings, jump from one to the other, or get a pile of books and read to each other.
Easy entertainment + no work for a tired, prego mommy = good stuff

(Don't mind them being half naked, that's usually how we roll around here)

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He is currently getting his molars. Not too fun. He actually isn't too bad, just needs some extra hugs and loves every once in a while.
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He has started sticking out his tongue when I ask to see it. Too cute. He doesn't talk much, just Mama, Dada, and KJ once, but he understands a lot. Like, 'sit down,' 'let me see your tongue,' 'go get in your seat' and 'go get blank/bink.'
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He has started holding his arms for prayers. So its not really "folding" but more like putting his hands on top of his head. He's getting it and it is oh so cute.

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He had his last bottle on the 16th and did great. It didn't even phase him! Now to take the binkie away.... I think that is going to be a bit harder.

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He LOVES babies. Real or fake. Whenever we are with my friend that has a 2 month little girl, he is always trying to kiss and hug her. And he loves Olivia's baby dolls. He carries them around and tries to give them his binkies. Casey isn't too found of his baby doll obsession but I think it is cute. It reminds me of the FRIENDS episode when Ben has a Barbie and Ross wants him to play with a GI Joe instead. "There's my boy, and there's his... Barbie."

Casey mentioned maybe finding a "tougher" looking baby. Men. I think he is just fine.