Zoe Girl

What can I say about the sweetest baby that ever was? I'm sorry- I know we all say that about every baby, but this time its legit. She really is the sweetest. And she's doing great. As of today she weighed 5 lbs 12 oz and is offically one month old! She's getting bigger and stronger all the time. In fact, its almost like she's a real baby! As opposed to a tiny breakable doll we couldn't even touch. Her lungs are totally healthy, although she's still on a trace of oxygen and will probably come home with it. She just seems to like that yicky thing in her nose. No one has told her yet that its not very cute. But then, some girls can pull off anything:) We've been able to get rid of all of her IVs, including her pic line, so a huge wahoo! for that. The last hurdle to jump is eating. The hospital has a pretty strict protocol about oral feedings which we are working our way through. Most days I just like to complain about how dumb it is. Even though I really know it isn't. (Well, it kind of is) Patience is hard. Frustration is easy. Its a good thing she's worth it! Tyler has been amazing and hasn't missed going to work early one time so that he can stop and visit Zoe and feed her a bottle. She's already got him under her spell. Uh, yeah. I think we all saw that coming a mile away. And of course he's got the boys doing their thing so I can be gone. He's working so hard to take care of us all, and I just love him to pieces for it.

We get to hold and feed her at least three times a day right now. There is just nothing better than rubbing that fluffly baby hair on your cheek. Its my favorite.

I have yet to remember to take my actual camera to the hospital. I know. Therefore, all my pictures are from my phone. They don't even do her awesome beauty justice: Not quite one week with the cpap to help her lungsPic line in her head and a Miss Piggy nose from the cpapA new nightieWell hello there, Pretty Girl

Bath Night

Aww. Dax is in love with her. Hayes loves her but is less interested. Asher, not so much. I think he can tell his world is about to change...

One month old!

This video is of our first time to help bath her, when she was about 2 1/2 weeks old. It was unexpected, so Aunt Camille filmed with my phone. Not great quality, but super precious. If you are offended by naked baby parts, feel free to not push play:)

Thank you to everyone. For remembering Zoe in your prayers. To nurses and doctors who are wonderful to us. Awesome neighbors and friends who have done so much. And of course to our family for being there and loving us. And loving our kids enough to repeatedly babysit. And then babysit some more. We are blessed. Thank you!

Preschool Rocks. Seriously.

This day was a long time coming. A very long time. Ash has been certain for quite some time now that he is missing out on something good everyday when the big boys head out for school. He re-he-ally wants. to. go. too. There have been tears. There has been wailing. I think there may even have been some gnashing of teeth. For this reason I am a believer in Two Years of Preschool. It works for us. So finally Asher's Big Day has arrived. Watch out World. And Miss Jamie.

2nd and 3rd

Second and Third Grades, we have arrived.

As a small side note I would just like to say that yes, I am shallow. For the entire part of my life that I can actually remember I have considered the buying and strategic planning out of school outfits the most important part of the the first week or so of school. Especially important is the FIRST DAY. I am slightly irritated that the boys have now grown up enough to have an opinion where school clothes are concerned. I still want to do all the picking and get the cool clothes. They too want the cool clothes, its just that our idea of cool greatly differs. I just have to publicaly state I do not think Star Wars Clone Wars shirts are cool. Or cute. Same goes for Sponge Bob. A few years ago, I would have outlawed them. But these boys are wearing me down. At least they didn't make an appearance on the first day. And seriously. This is the best picture they would give me. You should have seen the others. They were just too excited to hold still. Oh well. All that said, they're still the cutest 2nd and 3rd graders I know.

A Mission to Toca-door

Grandpa Dave and Grandma Julie received a mission call to Ecuador, or as Asher told Crae, (in a loud, highly-enunciated voice) A MI-SHUN TO TOCA-DOOR (duh). After two weeks in the MTC they arrived in Ecuador last Saturday. We are all very super excited to hear about their adventure as they go and have frequent conversations within our little family about what they are doing, what they are eating, what kind of a building they are living in, etc. It has brought much focus on missions and missionary work in general to our lives for which I am grateful because I have to say, I often find it amazing how much information the boys don't absorb. Mostly when the information is delivered to them via my voice. Not even in one ear and out the other, but usually right over the tops of their heads. Then, every once in a while, I find it amazing how much information they actually retain. At their farewell, Dave used the analogy of the seeds in an apple compared to missionary work. You can count the seeds in a an apple, but you can't count the apples in a seed. I think. Now, you have to realize that our bench, which held all boys and cousins, was a slightly rowdy bench. Pretty much nothing got through. Then yestereday, which was about 4 weeks after the farewell, I was peeling peaches and Asher was asking me about the pits. I told him we could plant a pit and it would grow into a peach tree. Out of the blue, Hayes piped up,"Yeah. That's just like what they say in church. You can count the apples in a seed, just not the seeds in an apple." Not sure the actual meaning penetrated, but it just goes to show that when grandpas speak, especially in church, boys listen. At least a little. So, Grandpa Dave and Grandma Julie, we love you, we miss you and we can't wait to talk to you! Thank you for being such great examples to us all:)