"Pwoject Time!"

I thought it would be fun to do a post about Dylan and his projects or as Dylan puts it, "pwojects". Everyday while Sydney is sleeping Dylan and I have a set schedule. We have school for an hour, we then set an alarm for him to have quiet time in his room for an hour, and if he's been good, he gets to do a project with me until Syd wakes up. These projects usually consist of painting, cutting and pasting, baking, making noise makers, etc. But sometimes when I get really creative we do something different. Here are just a few:
Shaving Cream Art. This is a really fun project to do, expecially if the kids haven't had baths yet. The picture that comes from this project is below on the bottom right. (Sydney decided to wake up and join us with this one)Dylan's favorite thing to cut out and glue are pirate ships. He does most of the cutting while I tell him where everything needs to be glued.
Dylan insists that his yarn basket be our new fruit basket. Lucky me!
Oh, and on the right is the Shaving Cream art. Pretty cool eh?
This was a mosaic that I made for my room. It took a few days to complete and Dylan was very helpful. We both worked on it everyday together. He wants to make one for his room soon, I just need to come up with an idea.
This is the art I have hanging dowstairs. I am such a proud mama! Look at his car on the left? He is so good! And the pic on the right was his first (and last) heart. The one on top was another shaving cream one. (We really like doing those, can you tell?)We made this for daddy for Fathers Day this year. We haven't decided between our two titles yet, "Your heart is in our hands", or "We hold you in our Hearts".
After all of Dylan's recent flying to California, he whined everyday that he wanted to fly again. So, we decided to make him his very own special plane. As ugly as this thing is, he LOVES it. He runs around in it almost everyday. I have to toot my own horn right now because what you don't see is that inside his box there are handles (strings) that when pulled, flaps the wings. Its pretty rockin I don't mess around people!
Of course we do the cereal necklaces. Dylan likes to make this so that he can eat all day without having to ask me. Smart boy!

Some of Syds Firsts!

It took a while but Syd finally learned how to clap, point, wave, sing, and dance (spin)...and all in the last month! WOOHOO!

California- The Rest!

I have to apologize for being so off the ball these days. It is always surprising to me how bad pregnancy really does make you feel. I haven't been up for phone calls, hanging out, blogging, or really...doing anything. This nausea is really taking its toll on my body. And can I just say, I hate having to constantly remind myself, husband and others that I am in fact pregnant. I should make a t-shirt and just wear it all the time so that I have a permanent excuse for my sour face and lack of enthusiasm. It should say, "I'm pregnant, any questions?", or, "pregnant=moody...dont be so surprised". I mean really, I am so tired all the time, and my emotions are out of control, I am so dang moody! I feel so retarded for having to explain my crying spells to people. I mean really, I really should have more control, but I don't, I swear. I have been reduced to feeling like a social moron. (Especially that babysitter situation Jim and Elaine...please realize that was so not me!)

Anyway, I know I can't complain because I am making a miracle, but I should be allowed to vent once in a while right?

Alright, So, for the pics! These are the rest of Cali. We were able to meet up with Cameron's buddy from high school, Matt Lydon and his wife Rachel, who is also expecting. We are so excited for them! Oh the joy! :)

We were lucky enough to be in town for Lucus's first birthday! It was fun and special to be around the Easbey clan again. I LOVE THAT FAMILY! Lets hope these two cuties can hook it up when they get a bit older!We were excited to see the great granparents again. We only were able to get this pic of grandpa Mount, but Jim has all of the other great ones on his camera. I will have to update that later. It is so fun seeing the generations together. I never knew either of my own grandpas, so it is nice for my kids to have three grandpas that they get to see every year.

My sweet baby girl!

We were able to stay with Jonaneli in LA for a few days at the tail end of our trip. Our time with them never seems long enough especially when we are keeping score. I don't think I won anything this trip...but surprisingly, Anneli did! :) Oh, and so did Cameron...I think. (Man I am mean!) ((IiM PREGNANT!))

Um...

Ok, so apparently people actually read my blog. What is that about? I know people like the pics, but really, reading? I didn';t know people actually cared. I write more for my journal than for anything else. So let me just say, my last entry was really only intended for myself and my kids, years from now. I want them to know later in life when they are mad at me for this and that, that really I am doing my best and I do make mistakes, and...yaddda yadda, yadda.

I also wrote that entry while in a fit of both massive anger, and utter sadness. Cameron and I had made a mistake with Sydney that really could have permanently damaged her for life. It was all innocent, but it was really hard for me to deal with. It really could have happened to anybody, but this didn't/doesn't make me feel any better. Any and all of you will or already have told me its not my fault, and/or I couldnt have known, but really, that is where I get really frustrated. It is my fault and without getting into details, I and Cameron should have known. So. That is it. Cameron and I both truly believe (after praying about it) that Sydney will be fine. I am fine, I just had to rant for a moment and be honest about motherhood and how FREAKING hard and frustrating it can be at times! :) I think its good that I am so honest...I have to be ready to be a mother of 3! WHAT! Yeah, so thanks for worrying but things are looking up! :)

Beach Day in Cali

"The waves are coming the waves are coming, AGHHHHHHH!"

Daddy made Sydney the base of his drip castle. She is the prettiest princess in "this" Castle Dylan.

"Daddy the cwabs are biting my legs!"

"Don't look at the freaks and losers...look at me!"The end of a LONG, HOT, day.

Humbling emotions

Motherhood. It is truly amazing what this one word entails. Motherhood = love, protection, pain, hugs, excitement, nurturing, encouragement, selflessness, embarrassment, amazement, wonderment, fun, and the list goes on. I have recently experienced some things with my children that have really made me step back and understand that along with the great qualities of motherhood, come moments that can put one in a state of misery far greater than ever imagined. While I was crying to my Doctor recently saying that “ I feel as though I am failing as a mother”, he told me “as long as you love your child, you cannot fail, you do the best you can.” At the moment this came to me as great comfort, but in thinking about it throughout these last few days, I can’t help but think that is total BS said to make me feel better for my mistakes. What about my child suffering because of me? I can love my child more than anything and still not take care of them the right way. I can do my best and have my best not be good enough. I can hurt my child without even knowing it, and that thought, that knowledge, kills me and haunts me every day.

So the question is, why? Why do we do it? Why am I pregnant yet again? Why do we have children that are affected by our weaknesses, insecurities, lack of knowledge, etc. Is it for our own entertainment and need to nurture or feel a part of something bigger than ourselves? Why is it fair to them to take on the problems that we force onto them? Let me just state, I am not admitting for a second that I am somehow an unfit mother, I am just saying that if I, who can love my children more than anything in the world, can hurt them unconsciously, I do not deserve to have them. And this is the most humbling and hurtful thought I believe I have ever admitted to having.

I have made a few terrible mistakes with my kids, and I know that there are only more to come in the future. It scares me to death to think of what my decisions or lack of will do to my children. The only thought that I can I take comfort in, is the thought that my Heavenly Father is with me every step of the way and that if I remember to include him in my decisions, my kids will succeed and become the people that he would have them be.

I pray every day that my kids will one day forgive me of my shortcomings and know that everything I did was in love. That’s not to say that “love” is or was enough, maybe at least just a comfort that it was something. For my own sake however, I will pray always for ways to forgive myself. This motherhood thing is something unlike anything anyone can ever describe or prepare you for. And for that, I beg that I am forgiven for the mistakes that I make along the way.

I love you Sydney and Dylan more that you will ever conceivably know. You light up my world and make it brighter than ever imaginable. Please, NEVER forget that!

Baby Aliya is here!

Aliya Nayeli Shaeer is here!!! She was born on August 18th at 6:26 PM. She weighed in at 7lbs 6 oz and is 20.5 inches long.
I was there from start to finish starting Sunday early morning to Tuesday evening at 6:26 pm. It was the longest labor I have witnessed let alone HEARD of. Emily labored completely naturally with no drugs for the entire time, and even pushed for 4 hours at the end. Can I just also say that she was at 9cm for 5 hours! That along with the 4 hours of pushing tires me out, but she did that after the several hours it took to get to that 9. IT WAS CRAZY! Emily was AMAZING! She didn't complain once, and she trooped through it unlike anything I have ever seen. She turned into Super woman in that hospital room! As it was, Aliya just wouldn't budge into place so they needed to do a c-section in the end. It was a relief to us all, especially Emily, to finally get that baby out into the world. Aliya is so beautiful, and I was so fortunate to have been there for it all. I saw a side to my sister that I had never known, and Im so proud of her.

Day 4 of Aliya's life. I was able to take Emily and Aliya to the first Doctors appt. Look how alert Aliya is, and look how great her mommy looks!Dylan and Sydney meet there new cousin!

Sisters! Sadly we werent able to get any pics of Lindsay, but of course she was there at the hospital too.

Quotes of the Month

Look at this little trouble maker!

While we were in California Dylan had a few great quotes that I just had to write down. He loved California and just the other day told me, "Mommy, I don't like Georgia anymore, I just want to go back to California." Amazing. Even a 3 year old knows how great California truly is!

1) Ok, so while we were in California, Dylan became very attached to his grandparents, and uh....very unattached to his mother to put it mildly. At one point he was mad at me for wanting to join in on the grandparent fun (I think Dylan was helping the Mounts pack and I was going to help or something) and he yells out, "no mommy, not one more word mommy" then he turned around to grandpa and said, "I cant deal with mommy right now". HAHA, a chip of the old block eh?

2) One morning he asked Cameron for a treat and Cameron of course said no. So Dylan preceded to say, "Hey daddy why don't you go in the other room...or maybe just turn around daddy"

3) This one is my favorites and probably not at all appropriate to be telling, but since when do I hold back? At one point Cameron was trying to get Dylan to go potty so he said, "lets go Dylan, we are going to have a peepee fight" (Don't ask). Dylan preceded to come in the bathroom and say, "Daddy, I dont have peepee so maybe we can have a poopoo fight". Cameron then asked how to do that? Dylan slid over to one side of the toilet and said, "I sit here daddy and you sit right there, and we poopoo at the same time." CLASSIC! I love my boys!

4) Ok, here is the last one, and one that you mounts will appreciate. While we were at the Mounts farewell party at the church Brother Lishman asked Dylan, "Did you know that your gramndpa and I used to play basketball in this gym?" Dylan responded with, "No, my grandpa has a boken leg, he cant play basketball". Awww...sad but pretty funny right?