oh so long...

I am having a really hard time beginning to blog again. I sit down and start something sometimes but I never finish. Maybe if I just post something it will get me going again. I think this may have been the longest no blogging spell in almost four years. Let’s just say life was crazy. Things are getting back to normal and I feel like I can blog again. It is so sad that this is such a growing time for Laela and I am not documenting it. Of course the same for the other girls too but you know. Brad did break our camera during a backpacking trip so that is also a big reason I didn't blog. I have a hard time blogging without pictures. But look, I am doing it now. :)
A little catch up...

Ayden is doing well in Kindergarten. She was really quiet for the first two months or so but has really opened up lately. Her teacher says that she loves when Ayden contributes and shares. A lot of it had to do with the fact that 7 kids were moved to another class (one mean girl in particular) so I think the smaller and safer environment has probably made her more comfortable. She is doing well and loving reading and writing. It is fun to watch her mind connect everything. As I am sure I write about her every time, she has such a love for learning. She asks questions all the time about all kinds of things and she is so interested in the answers. She will want you to tell her again and again and more and more. The other day she asked me "mom, if the earth is round then how come the floor in our house doesn't curve." She was very intrigued by the answer and wanted to hear about it again. The other day I heard Brad telling her all about how America became a country and she was very interested and wanted to know more. This year as a family we read the Book of Mormon and I will admit that I kind of pushed reading the picture version but Brad wanted to read the actual book. I was so surprised how well Ayden understood what we were reading. She asked all kinds of relevant questions and really enjoyed the stories. One time I was reading and she asked a question and then when I finished answering her I couldn't remember where I left off. As I was looking for my place she said "mom you just read.... and there was peace established once more among the Nephites" or something like that.
Ayden is such a good big sister. She is always willing to play with her younger sisters. She has taught Alex pretty much everything she knows. She teaches her how to color and draw things. She taught her how to write her name. She teaches her letters and numbers. They are the best little friends and I love watching them together. They really understand each other so well. Ayden can tell when Alex is about to "loose it" which happens a bit more then I would like to admit and knows how to calm her down before she explodes better then Brad and I can. They share a room and after we put them to bed they usually stay up for about an hour quietly talking, reading to each other or telling stories. I think it is cute even though sometimes I just wish they would go to bed. Ayden also plays with Laela very well. She is the only person who can make her laugh (still). There are a few times I have been able to or would like to say I have been able to but Ayden has been by my side every time so I cannot be sure it was me who made her laugh.

It seems like the last 6 months or so has been huge for Alex. She is really coming out of her shell and her personality is blooming. She is talking so well and isn't as shy. She is such a good little artist and can draw great horses and sharks. It just seems like it wasn't that long ago that she was scribbling all over pages and now she colors everything within the lines and tries to draw different things on her own. She loves preschool and all her little friends there. She just became a sunbeam at church (no longer in nursery) and likes being one of the big kids like Ayden now. Alex goes to speech therapy once a week and loves it because it is at the elementary school and she thinks it is so neat that she gets to go to school where Ayden does. She loves Ayden and looks up to her so much. While she loves playing with Ayden and other kids she is also such a great self entertainer and can keep herself busy for hours with her imagination. Alex loves little things. She always has a little toy or object in her hand or pocket at all times. They are mostly animals. She loves animals. At preschool they bring an object to share every Wednesday that is supposed to start with the particular letter of the week and Alex makes sure that it is something "with two eyes" every time. Sometimes it can be hard bringing something with two eyes every week so we will give them a name that starts with letter like "Julie" the frog. I am sure she doesn't explain this to the teacher so I wonder how she handles it. I am sure she just thinks I am out of my mind or something... "why is she sending her with a frog when the letter is J?" Anyway, Alex is really great and fun. She is usually the easiest kid in the world but she has her moments and during those moments she is impossible to reason with. I have found nothing to motivate this kid. She is so stubborn. If I engage in a power struggle with her she will win. So I have to be careful to never start them.

Laela is doing great besides the fact that she is screaming in her room right now. She is sick and oh so fussy. She will not take a nap. She just became 9 months old and the age brought her a tooth. The other tooth is on its way up and is just making her mouth red and swollen. She has a cold too with an awful cough and runny nose. Poor baby. We are going to the doctor later to see if she has an ear infection on top of it. Anyway, generally Laela is such a fun baby. I am really in love with her. She is also very in love with me and doesn't like anyone else. Except her dad, she finally likes her dad. That can make it hard because I can't leave her with anyone but fortunately I have a little attachment to her too so it makes it okay. My mom says we imprinted on each other. My sister just thinks I created a monster and it is my entire fault. Who knows, but it isn't making things too awful so we will see how long it lasts. She is just starting to crawl. Mostly still rolls or scoots to get to things but she is beginning to get up on those knees. It is fun to see her progress. Her favorite game is peek-a-boo. She holds something in front of her face and then brings it down and makes a little sound kinda like "ba" and waits for you to say peek-a-boo and then smiles and does it over and over again. It is too cute. She likes doing it in the car with the car seat cover or a blanket or today it was a toy lid and then a bowl. She loves to "talk". I think she is a pretty verbal baby. She loves to play with toys. One thing that will keep her busy for a while is to put her on the floor with a bucket of all kinds of toys and she likes pulling one out at a time. She loves running her hand across her mouth and making the brrrr sound. She has begun eating solid foods and really enjoys eating. Her favorites are avocado, yams and squash. I am making all of her food and hoping that will help form her into a good eater which is a characteristic her sisters don't have. She is a little thing. Only weighing 15 lb 5oz at her 9 month check up, which has made her fall off her curve. She was at one point 70% and now she is 3%. She weighs a bit less then Ayden did when she was 9 months. I don't think she is meant to be big and is probably just evening out to her natural size but her pediatrician is a bit concerned so I have to try and fatten her up a little.

~Update- we went to the pediatrician and lo and behold it is an ear infection- poor baby.~

Brad and I are doing really well. I am amazing at how we can continue to fall in love more and be better friends all the time (gross I know). I think we have grown really close to each other particularly during the last 4 months as we became foster parents to a teenage boy. We felt like we should do it but unfortunately it didn't end very well recently and it ended up being a much harder thing then either of us thought it would be. Sometimes I wonder why we felt prompted to do it but in my heart I know one of the biggest reasons was because it made us grow so much together. We had to unite and work together to get through a difficult time together. It made me appreciate Brad so much watching his patience and strength as he and I dealt with difficult things. I learned so much about him and his abilities and helped me gain an appreciation for him as my eternal companion I never had before. It also helped me appreciate my girls. I have kind of always thought I would be a better mom to teenagers then I am to little kids and I always looked forward to those times. I am sure, sometimes missing out on the good times I could have had. Now I know that if I don't learn to enjoy them now and enjoy them as little kids I may never learn to and I will miss out on so much. I love this time in my life that I can stay home and be their mom and play with them, read to them, cuddle them, help them with homework, color with them and teach them but that also includes the screaming, crying, fighting, booger noses, cleaning etc. They are incredible little things and I am glad I realize that.

Wow, if anyone is still reading I am shocked. I guess doing a little update after a 3 month absence turns into an essay. Now I am caught up to add some pictures and stuff from the holidays. Hopefully I can get back in the swing of things since this is my main journaling media.