Hodgepodge

Saturday, we wanted to get out of the house, and since the Wisteria are blooming everywhere, I really wanted to go to the Botanical Gardens. My grandmother had Wisteria growing all over her back fence, and in the spring, you could smell it the second you pulled up in her driveway, and the backyard would just be a wonderland of purple. She's been gone for nearly twelve years now, and whenever I see Wisteria, I think of her. (I think of her with many flowers, actually.) I have some growing in my yard, but they don't bloom yet because it's a young vine. Watch - the first year we are out of this house, they will explode. We were looking for them at the Gardens on one of the paths, when Ewan and I both said, "I smell grapes!" We turned a corner, and BAM! there they were. It was gorgeous. They are right next to the roses, and the combination of the two scents made me feel like I was sitting RIGHT THERE in Grandma's backyard, talking about flowers and babies. She lived only a few blocks away, and when I was babysitting my nephew Chandler, Amy and I would put him in the stroller and walk over there. He'd play by her little fish pond while we all talked.

From a distance - look how high they climb.

Strolling

I wrote a poem years ago about sunbathing with turtles. I would post it here, but I'm sure it's not as good as I thought at the time.

A reluctant pose from Ewan. His favorite part of the excursion was sitting and being able to play with his new Transformers.

Another reluctant pose.

I didn't even ask him to sit for this. He just wandered over to this tree like it was a professional shoot, and he was a model. Then he started ripping daffodils out of the ground.

My attempt at photography.

Mommy and a 5-month-old Corgan. Let this serve as his 5 month post.

I could not resist posting this, with Fynn's arm around Corgan like real chums. I love these boys so much. Continuing on the 5-month-post vein, Corgan is growing so much. He "talks" all day and shouts out to hear himself. He's rolling from stomach to back, and almost from back to stomach. He usually ends up turning a 180 in the attempt.

Babies and Boys and Boy Babies

Since Kristy and I are both in Primary, and are both having (had) babies this month, we were thrown a shower by all the Primary women, plus a few friends who were invited as well. Kristy definitely needed a shower more than I did, since she had her first boy after three girls, but I'm grateful I was included and it was so fun to get together with all these women and talk and laugh, and eat really good food. Luckily everyone there has had children, or some of the conversation topics might have horrified someone into never having them. I received many wonderful gifts, and if I was ambitious, I would post pictures of all of them! But I'm not, and sitting in this chair hurts my back, so I am just going to highlight two of my favorites. But thanks to everyone who was there, I loved everything.

If you remember this post, I was coveting both the baby and the hat. Luckily the baby was already in the works, and Julie offered to make the baby a hat just like the picture. This is the result! I love it so much, and CAN NOT WAIT to put him in it. I think Missy might have to come over with her camera... Thank you so much, Julie.

Okay, what are those, you think? Just plain hilarious, and having had two boys - definitely useful. (I tried to find Elisa's page on Etsy, but I lost the card.) For the purposes of this blog, I'll call them (drumroll) pee shields. Basically, you put this over your little boy's, ahem, penis, and if he decides to shower you while you are changing his diaper, these handy little tent-thingies keep the spray contained. Elisa knows we love pirates over here, so she gave me these pirate ones. I am SOOOO using these. Thanks, Elisa!  (*Update*  Elisa just wrote and said she found these on Etsy at bluejeanjess.etsy.com.)

And just for fun, a picture of Fynn's favorite past-time. Before the accident, he would play for hours with this plastic bat and a baseball, running around the house, making us throw the ball for him and trying to hit it. If baseball is on T.V., he is entranced. He really only likes to do it with Bryce, and he demands Bryce wear his baseball hat while they play. As you can see, the cast has not slowed him down at all, although his technique has changed a bit.

We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday, but unfortunately our pictures did not turn out so great. Most of the pictures Ewan absolutely refused to pose for at all. So I'll just post this one of him, happy in the bounce house. (Ignore the fact he's wearing a St. Patricks's Day shirt at a Halloween event. I tried to talk him out of it, but he is who he his and I let him be just that.) It was a very busy day, and he was very tired, so I think this might be the only time he smiled all day. But that's okay, he's still cute when he's not smiling. As long as he's not yelling. The other day as he was changing into his pajamas, I was just marveling at how lean and tall he is now - no baby body left at all. I couldn't help wondering, when did this boy move into my house?! It's so wonderful to see him growing up, but also sad. Time flies by much too quickly.

Visit to Jonah!

I recruited Erica and her daughter to drive to Austin with me for a day trip to meet Jonah. The trip went well, with Ewan and Megan, who are so much alike it's kinda scary, hitting it off well and laughing in the backseat like little Gremlins. (By the way, I have never heard a cuter laugh in my life than Megan's. Never. I mean it.) The kids were very good, but way too energetic for a brand new mommy's nerves, so Erica took them to Walmart for snacks while Amy and I had some quiet sister/baby time.

The drive was nice, Erica and I talked and talked and talked. At one point, her daughter said, "Um, Mommy, I'm trying to hear Peter Pan, you can stop talking now." It was the first time Erica and I have been able to really talk in many, many years, so we didn't stop, but I think Peter Pan was enjoyed anyway. The last leg of the trip got a little long for me, with the drive from Erica's to home seeming to last longer than the whole day. Fynn was crashed well before we hit home, and Ewan was so tired he was slurring his words. For the first time in my life, I don't think I want to sit down ever again (yet here I am...)  Oh, and one of the cutest moments of the day came when Megan told Ewan, "You are just the cutest thing."

It was a great day, and thanks so much to Erica for keeping me company and helping keep my burden light. Erica's post with some pictures of the day can be found here. Please forgive this particularly HORRIBLE picture of me. I would use pregnancy as a double-chin excuse, but it was there long before Corgan took up residence. Just pretend you don't see it. Deal?

Ewan loves babies so much. He went with Amy to change Jonah's diaper and told her that he was the cutest baby in the whole world.

Amy and Jonah. Very red-haired Jonah.