First Sunday

When Miles was 10 days old, he made his debut at church. Typically people wait a little longer, but I couldn't wait to show him off! How could I not? I went home right after sacrament meeting, and then I didn't go for a few more weeks.

First Bath

Miles' first bath was quite the affair. He is one lucky man to have two older sisters that dote on him!

In the Middle

Poor little Fiona isn't the baby anymore. She's done pretty well, but needs some extra TLC. For a few weeks she wanted to sit on somebody's lap for every meal and she had a hard time obeying. Although she received "big sister" gifts from both Miles and Grandma and Grandpa Bean, she really loved this bear they got for Miles. Miles let her take a nice long turn cuddling with it. I hope she knows how much we adore her!

Gobble Gobble!

We enjoyed a quiet little Thanksgiving at home a week after Miles was born. The exclusive guest list included Rick's cousin Susie who lives in Boulder and Rick's parents. Did I mention that they came and stayed with us for two weeks to help? It was awesome!

I love the unpredictable weather in Colorado. After dinner everybody sat on the back patio and played games. Actually, I observed from my comfy spot on the chaise lounge.

Don't you think I got the better end of the deal?

It was so warm that we decided to eat cream cicles while we enjoyed the weather. You know, just a little something to prep us for the pumpkin pie.

The most coveted Thanksgiving activity was getting a turn to hold this little turkey...

Going Home!

We brought Miles home from the hosptial on November 19th (my birthday). He is definitely the best birthday present I've ever received! Since it was so close to Thanksgiving (and Thanksgiving was his due date), we couldn't resist this turkey out fit!

The girls were thrilled to have us home and everybody wanted to hold him.

They also had a little party for me. Gwen wrapped "presents" which were things she found around the house.

Rick made my favorite dinner- grilled steaks, artichokes, and bread with oil and vinegar for dinner. And there was more treats! That sounds like my kind of birthday!

Fun at the Hospital

Our two night stay at the hospital was great. Here is what stands out most in my memory (in no particular order)

- a circumcision gone wrong (the bleeding wouldn't stop so they had to put in stitches - it was awful)

- a hearing test

-more visits from Grandma and Grandpa and the siblings

-lots of time to cuddle and admire Miles

- a hearing test

-overeating thanks to the room service at the hospital

-lots of movies from the on-demand channel

Mile's face was a little beat up- the nurses said it was due to his quick exit. By the time we left the hospital, the swelling was better, but he still had tiny broken blood vessels all over his forehead and a broken blood vessel on his eyeball. To add insult to injury, my poor baby had stitches and gauze on his little unit.

One of my favorite stories about our hospital stay was an event I wasn't there for. The girls, Rick, and his parents all had dinner downstairs in the cafeteria. During dinner, Gwen had to use the restroom and Grandma Bean happily took her. While in the bathroom, there was a lady in a stall that needed some toilet paper. Gwen got it for her and was quite certain that she "saved" this poor lady.

Upon exiting the restroom, Gwen found the closest hospital employee and scolded them for not having it well-stocked with toilet paper. She also informed them that the bathroom was a mess and the trash was overflowing. She told them that it needed to be taken care of right away. The staff was so amused by her that they gave her and Fiona SkyRidge teddy bears to show their appreciation for her feedback.

Maybe the trash was overflowing because the staff was too busy keeping the patient rooms in top condition. My room was always clean, my trash was constantly being emptied, and I was asked regularly if there was anything I needed by the cleaning staff. The nurses were amazing as well. I want to have another baby just so I can stay there again. Ok, maybe not!

Owies

This late winter/early spring brought it's share of boo boo's and illnesses. We definitely had our share of stomach viruses and colds.

One day poor Fiona was holding onto the back of the kitchen chair that Gwen was sitting in. When Gwen got up, Fiona fell flat on her back with the chair on top of her. Her lip was swollen and her gums were so mangled. The good news was that she got some serious cuddling that day because I felt so bad for her. I could tell it hurt because there was a lot of whimpering going on.


Not to be left out, Gwen made sure we were all aware when she had a bad sore throat. Just like her daddy, she likes attention when she's sick and constantly wanted me to check her throat with a flashlight...

And of course, I had my share of illnesses too, but who has time to be sick when there's other people in the house to take care of?

Valentine's Day 2011

Valentine's Day was another success! Of course, who doesn't enjoy a day filled with sweets, love, and kisses?

The day started with heart-shaped doughnuts.

Next, the girls were bestowed with gifts of greeting cards and pillow pets.

Lunchtime included heart-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches with red sprinkles and strawberry milk.

Rick and I had a hot date that night, thanks to our awesome friends the Johnsons. But, for some reason, I didn't feel compelled to photographically document the 45 minutes we spent driving aimlessly looking for a restaurant to eat at. Nor did I think it was necessary to take any snapshots of us visiting our local home depot. Of course, I really should have taken photos of our last stop at the grocery store.

Rick has promised me a Valentine's Day redo. I'm still waiting for him to pay up. Good thing I love him.